


Haunted By You

by lanieloveu



Category: Fifty Shades of Grey - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Family Drama, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-05
Updated: 2016-04-17
Packaged: 2018-05-24 19:51:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 64,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6164749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lanieloveu/pseuds/lanieloveu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anastasia Steele has returned home from college. Gone is the chubby, awkward teenager she once was and in her place is a siren who finally gets the attention of her childhood obsession, Christian Grey. Elliot Grey has always been obsessed with her. Believing that she will never love him, he resigns himself to live his life being haunted by her. But will he be the one left haunted?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Threesome

Haunted By You

Chapter 1

Threesome

Ana's POV

"Ladies," he says as he waits naked on the bed. "Are you going to join me?"

I look at Kate and she just shrugs. I could tell by the look in her eyes that there was no way she was backing out of this.

She starts to undress. I watch her as she runs naked to join him in bed. Even though the lights are dim, I can still see them both very clearly and I don't like the idea of them seeing me naked.

I stand there biting my lip in thought, unsure if I really want my first time to be with my best friend's brother and his "sort of girlfriend," as he calls her.

"Come on, live a little." Kate tries to persuade me. "It's really no big deal."

No big deal she says? This wasn't at all how this was supposed to go when we came here an hour ago. We were just kidding around and having some fun. But then alcohol started to pour and inhibitions started to fade. Now here I am, shy, chubby Anastasia Steele, with pimples on her face still at eighteen, boldly undressing and climbing into bed for a threesome.

I lie in between the two of them, wishing we were at least under the covers so I wouldn't feel so exposed and nervous.

"Don't worry, I know how to make you feel good," he whispers to me as he moves down between my legs.

Embarrassed at how good it feels, I cover my face as he takes my clit in his mouth and sucks it until its pebble hard.

"Mmmm, you like that don't you," he says to me as he flicks his tongue back and forth hitting my clit at just the right spot. "I can tell."

Kate removes my hands from my face and quickly sticks her tongue deep in my mouth before I can stop her.

"Mmmmmm." Is all I can say as I decide not to fight her.

All rational thought goes out the window as my body spirals completely out of control. His tongue glides over my clit easily now since I am soaking wet. I feel myself building and I begin to moan loudly no longer caring how it might sound.

"Ooooo, she is about to cum," Kate says and lets him know to keep going. "Faster," she tells him.

"Just let happen," she whispers to me when she sees me struggling to stop myself from cuming.

Just when I give in and I'm about to tumble over into pure bliss, the bedroom door flies open with a bang and the bright ceiling light turns on.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON IN HERE," the deep voice booms so loud it echoes off of the walls and blasts my ears.

Kate scrambles to cover herself with the sheets but I am left frozen stiff and naked as two angry gray eyes stare into my light blue ones. I try to cover myself with my hands but fail.

Christian walks over to Kate, yanks the sheet from her naked body and throws it to me so that I may cover myself.

Kate gets off the bed, grabs for her clothes and dashes into the bathroom.

"What the hell, Christian," Elliot says as he gets up and pulls on his pants. I can't help but notice his large dick, now flaccid, bouncing up and down as he tugs on his jeans.

"What the hell do you mean 'what the hell,'" Christian yells at him. "You are having sex in my bed with your sister's best friend and some slut! Get the fuck out!"

Christian leaves us to get dressed.

"What an asshole," Kate says as she reenters the bedroom. She straightens out her clothes and combs her hair with her fingers.

"Well, I guess we could move this party to my place," Elliot says to us.

"Fuck off, Elliot. The moment has long gone," I tell him as I leave the room to get dressed.

I can't believe I let them talk me into doing that.


	2. Kiddo

Haunted by You

Chapter 2

Kiddo

Ana's POV

I reenter Christian's bedroom only to find it empty, so I go in search of everyone. I find Christian in his kitchen cleaning up the mess Elliot, Kate, and I made.

"Can I come in," I ask him standing in the door way.

"You've been everywhere else," he says motioning with his hands. His voice is full of sarcasm.

"I want to apologize," I tell him earnestly.

I enter the small kitchen to help him clean. I wonder how he cooks in here because there is barely enough room for the two of us to turn around, but then I remember that he doesn't really know how to cook since someone has always done it for him.

"I don't know what we were thinking," I tell him, feeling bad that we've invaded his space so disrespectfully.

"Are you drunk, Kiddo," he asks me, clearly unhappy with the notion. I really thought I was hiding it well, but I guess he can smell it on my breath.

"I'm a little tipsy. We kind of raided your liquor," I say guiltily. "And don't call me kiddo. I'm a woman now.

"If you say so," he tells me smirking, but suddenly frowns in thought.

"Did you just fuck my brother, Ana," he asks me his face turning serious. That's not what I meant about being a woman.

"No," I tell him. "We were just fooling around."

"But if I hadn't walked in," he asks me and I shrug knowing Elliot would probably be balls deep in me right now. That fact doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would.

"Are you going to tell Mia," I ask him.

"Is there something to tell," he asks me.

"Only what you saw," I tell him.

"Are you and Elliot…." He starts, then stops to take a breath. "What the hell was that, Ana? You've known Elliot for as long as you've known me. You are like a sister..."

"Don't make it sound like that Christian," I tell him, getting sick of his 'you're like a sister to me bullshit'. "It wasn't dirty. And I already told you, we just got carried away. You know how Elliot gets when he's been drinking."

"Do you really want your first time to be with drunken Elliot and his flavor of the hour girl," he asks me.

"And just how do you know it's my first time," I ask him. What nerve he has. Just because he doesn't find me attractive doesn't mean no one else ever has. But who am I kidding? I never even got asked out on a date in high school. I had to tag along with Mia and her date to my own fucking prom. I'm so glad high school is over and I start college soon.

"I know," he simply says.

"Give me a break here Christian. I'm going off to college in a week and I just wanted to have some fun for once. I am so tired of being boring," I tell him.

"You're not boring Ana," he says to me. "But that in there wasn't you either.

"I know," I tell him. "I don't want you to be pissed at us."

"You need to be more careful," he warns me.

"I've been anything but careful," I tell him.

"College boys are a whole other breed," he says. "Elliot cares about you, but those fuckers won't. Just promise me you'll be careful. Don't just let any prick into your panties."

"Yes, I promise, Dad," I tell him, rolling my eyes. Which serves to only piss him off.

"Ana, if I hadn't come in, would you have fucked Elliot," he asks me and I wonder why he's so concerned all of a sudden. In all the years I've known him, he has never been interested in anything I've done before. Believe me, I've tried to get his attention.

I have known The Greys since I was in junior high school. My mother was their housekeeper. She put herself through culinary school and now works as their personal chef. Even though she and I don't actually live in the affluent section of Bellevue, The Greys allowed her to use their home address and I was able to go to the same school with their only daughter Mia.

She and I became inseparably. I spent more time at The Greys than I did at my own home. We loved hanging out there because the property was large enough for us to disappear for hours without anyone knowing where we were. There were always people around: Her parents, Grace and Carrick, her brothers Elliot, who was the oldest of the three, and Christian, who was a few years older than me and Mia. I am an only child and I got lonely at home sometimes, but that was never the case at Mia's.

Of course there was another reason I liked being at The Grey's so much. The moment I saw him, I fell madly in love with Christian Grey. I had just started to notice boys and boy did I notice him. Whatever the stuff was that boys used to attract girls, Christian Grey was oozing with it.

It didn't matter that I was thirteen and he had just turned sixteen. It didn't matter that he only saw me as his sister's best friend, the little pudgy one with the stringy hair and braces. I loved him anyway. I remember the first time he held me. It was the best and worst day of my life.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch," I yelled out holding my injured knee in my hands as I tried hard not to cry.

"Hey, kiddo, are you okay," his voice came up quick behind me. I don't know how he got to me so fast from his front lawn. I spotted him there right before I fell off of my bike. It was the reason I fell.

"Stop calling me kiddo," I said, as I looked up into gray eyes. "I'm almost fourteen!"

"Forgive, Miss Steele," he teased, as he lifted my bike off of me and bent down to examine me. He peeled my hands away and took a look at my knee.

"It's just a little scrape," he said, smiling at me. I was terribly shy and I tried so hard not to blush at the attention my crush was finally giving me, but he smiled wider and I knew I'd failed at the task. "You'll be okay."

He squeezed my hand and stared at me so intensely that I couldn't look away. Did he feel it too?

"You okay, Ana," Mia said riding up on her bike with Elliot riding closely behind her. He was five years older than we were and was always stuck with the task of accompanying us when we went off bike riding. He was a lot of fun. I don't think his parents knew how mischievious he was, otherwise they would have forced Christian to go with us. He was alot more subdued.

"She's okay Mia," Christian said looking up at her, breaking our connection. "She just scraped her knee. I'll carry her back up to the house and put something on it."

The feel of his arms around me as he carried me up to his parent's house and into the first floor bathroom was like nothing I had ever felt before.

He sat me down on the closed toilet seat and got some antiseptic spray for my knee. I hissed at the sting it gave me when he sprayed it on.

"Sorry about that," he said as he blew on my knee to help ease the burn. "Better," he asked after he was done putting the band aid on.

"Much better," I told him trying not to smile with my stupid braces shining in my mouth.

"My mom wanted me to come and find you," he told me. "Your mom wants you home, so I'll drop you off on my way to pick up my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend," I asked him trying not to sound devastated. "Mia never said…"

"She doesn't know, Kiddo," he told me. "Telling Mia would be like telling the world. She's coming to dinner tonight, so she'll meet her then."

"You must really like her," I asked him hoping against hope.

"Yeah she's great," he said. "Come on, I don't want to be late picking her up."

"No, its okay," I told him. "I have a ride home. I forgot to tell my mom."

I lied. It took me over an hour to get home on the bus and when I finally did, I locked myself in my room and cried myself to sleep. The next day at school, Mia told me all about Christian's girlfriend, Jennifer Carlyle.

I loved the fact that Mia didn't like her. In fact she hated her and thought she was a total bitch. She didn't think that they would last long. How wrong she was. He is still with her to this day. Although I must admit their relationship is a strange one. Elliot says they are together now more out of habit than love. It doesn't hurt that her father is filthy rich and is helping Christian to establish his own company.

"I guess we'll never know," I tell him finally getting out of my own head long enough to answer his question. "I'll see you, Christian."

I go back through to his living room heading for the front door, when I see Elliot there waiting.

"Where's Kate," I ask him looking around. "I thought you two were going back to your place."

"Like you said, the moment's gone," he said. "I wanted to make sure you and I were okay."

"We're fine," I tell him honestly. "It's not the first time you've gotten me to do something totally crazy and it probably won't be the last." I laugh at all of the crazy things I've done with Elliot Grey. He is anything but boring and he brings me out of my shell like no one else can. He never makes me feel self conscious about the way I look because he pretends not to notice my flaws.

"Come on," he holds out his hand to me. "I'll take you home."

"I don't think I trust you to drive," I tell him.

"All I had was a beer," he tells me. "But we'll take a cab, if it makes you feel better."

"Can I stay at your place tonight," I ask him. "My mom is at her boyfriend's and I don't want to stay by myself."

"Sure, not a problem Banana," he says to me.

I think I hate Banana almost as much as I hate Kiddo. I text my mom to let her know I'm going to be staying at Elliot's tonight.

…..

"So was my brother pissed or what," Elliot asks me as we lay fully clothed in his queen sized bed. I like staying at Elliot's. Its bit roomier than Christian's but that's because Carrick is helping him out with the rent. He refuses to support Christian since he dropped out of Harvard two years ago.

"He was surprised," I tell him, "and more worried than pissed."

"He thought that I would steal your virtue," he says.

"Yes he did," I sigh. Does everyone know I'm a virgin? "He lectured me on not letting the boys in college get in my panties."

"My brother is a self righteous prick," he laughs. "But he's right about that though. Don't just give it up to anybody, Ana."

He turns on his side to face me. I do the same and face him.

"I wouldn't have you know," he tells me. I frown not sure what he means and he elaborates. "I wouldn't have fucked you like that. I just wanted to…"

"To what," I ask him.

"I wanted to know what it would be like to taste you," he tells me. "But I fucked up. Kate was there and that wasn't right."

"I didn't mind it," I tell him and now he frowns.

"You tasting me," I whisper. "I liked it."

He grins.

"Would you have let me," he asks.

"Yes," I quickly answer, but then get embarrassed at how quickly I answer. "It's not like anyone else has been trying." I say to try and cover.

"They would," he tells me. "If they thought they'd have half a chance."

"No one wants to fuck a porker," I tell him.

"Come on, Ana." he tells me, angry at me now. "I hate when you say dumb shit like that."

"Stop getting so mad at me for being truthful," I tell him.

"You have no idea how hot you are," he tells me looking me dead in the eyes. "You're body is amazing, the way it fills out in all the right places." Although Elliot is a jokester, I know him well enough to know he is being completely serious.

I lean in to kiss him but he pulls away.

"Ana, you've had too much to drink," he tells me.

"Probably, but I'm not drunk," I tell him and pull him into me. His lips crush into mine.

He slips his tongue in my mouth and I moan at the taste of him.

"We need to stop," he tells me, breathing hard.

"Why," I ask him. "Don't you want to?"

"I've wanted to for a long time," he admits to me.

"What," I ask him surprised as to where this is coming from.

"You've been driving me crazy for the last two years," he confesses.

Two years! This is news to me. I didn't think he even knew I was around. Every time he came home from college, he always had some blonde attached to his face, obscuring his vision.

"Those boobs of yours just came out of nowhere," he says to me, laughing at the fact that I was a late bloomer. "I've cum all over myself just thinking about them, Ana. Tasting you tonight, it was more than I've ever imagined it would be."

"Why didn't you tell me all of this before tonight," I ask him.

"You didn't want to hear it," he tells me.

"Is that why you've been teasing me and acting pissed off," I ask him.

"No," he says. "I was pissed off at you because every time I tried to flirt with you, you would start pining away for my brother."

"When were you flirting with me," I ask him. How the heck did I miss all of this?

"Whenever I teased you," he says. "I couldn't just come out and say hey Ana do you want to hook up tonight."

"Why not," I ask him.

"You were a sixteen year old kid," he tells me. "You are practically a second daughter to my parents. I shouldn't be feeling this way. I feel like a pervert. "

He sighs and turns over on his back to stare at the ceiling.

I climb on top of him. He looks up at me in surprise when I straddle him. I gasp as I can now feel his large erection that has just sprung up in his pants. The fact that he wants me this much has turned me on and is giving me confidence.

I kiss him full and hard on the lips causing him to moan deeply.

"I'm not a kid anymore," I tell him. "I want to give myself to you tonight, Elliot."

I kiss him again.

"What about Christian," he asks me. "I know you love him."

"He's not here," I tell him, but cringe when the words hit my ears. "No, I mean..."

"I know what you mean," he tells me. "I don't mind being your second choice, as long as I get to have you first."

He tangles his hands in my hair and pulls me down into a kiss.

I feel myself getting wet. I never knew a kiss could do that.

I lift myself up and pull my shirt over my head. Elliot watches me, his eyes full of lust as I unclasp my bra and drag it off of my tits.

He does nothing but stare and I start to lose my confidence. I bite my lip and he knows it's a sign of my insecurity. He reaches up and tugs my chin, releasing my lip.

"You. Are. Hot," he says to me, emphasizing every word. "I've never wanted anyone the way I want you."

"Never," I ask him. Not even any of those tall hot blondes he was always with.

"Never," he tells me again and I smile down at him.

I grab both of his shoulder and pull him up to me. He kisses my neck softly before he moves down and latches on to my breast.

I can't think. I am lost in the feel of his mouth suckling me.

...

Elliot's POV

I can't believe this is really happening. The girl that has haunted me for the last two years is finally in my arms. I know I'm not the man of her dreams. I know she loves my brother and I am the one that's going to get hurt at the end of this, but I don't care. I can't stop myself from loving her, so I'll pay whatever the price is to be with her tonight.

I have tried so hard not to love her. I've been with every damn blonde from Seattle to Vancouver and back again trying to fuck away the need I have for my brown haired blue eyed obsession. The latest being Kate Kavanagh. I had no idea she and Ana were even friends until I ran into them tonight. They were trying to sneak into the new club down on eight st. with the worst set of fake I'ds I had ever seen. They were both hell bent on getting drunk so I took them back to Christian's place since he has a better selection of liquor than I do. I was sure the girls wanted more than a nice cold beer and his place was closer.

He wasn't supposed to be home until tomorrow. He's been in L.A. trying to make contacts to get his business idea off of the ground. Dad refuses to help him. He's still pissed that he dropped out of Harvard a few years ago. I invested as much as I could, but I just started my own construction company and it is barely starting to make a profit.

I thought it would be fine. I certainly didn't expect alcohol to turn those two into sex kittens, not that I mind being the benefactor. I wanted to resist, but there she was, the girl of my dreams ready and willing for me to take her.

I knew she was drunk and I knew she was a virgin. I had no intentions of making love to her with Kate there or at all as drunk as she was. I just wanted to make her feel good. But of course it all went to hell when Christian showed up.

Now here she is, more than willing to give me the gift she can only give once. I want so much to accept it, but it would kill me if she regretted being with me in the morning. She takes off her shirt and bra and damn, I lose all resolve.

The fight in me is gone.


	3. Banana

Chapter 3

Banana

Elliot's POV

"Your skin is so soft," I moan to her in between kissing. I feel her bare skin touching mine as she straddles.

"Elliot, "she says, "um…"

"We don't have to do this if you don't want to, Ana," I tell her, pulling back. "We don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"I want to," she tells me quickly. "I just wanted to know if you have condoms."

"Yeah I do, "I tell her chuckling in relief. I grab hold of her and turn so that she is now underneath me. She plays with the two silver rings I'm wearing around my neck before I move to take them off. I put them on the bedside drawer and grab a condom.

"I just want to taste you again, Ana," I tell her. I kiss my way down her body until I am between her legs.

I take the ball of my thumb and circle her clit that is wet and hot pink from her need to release.

Her breathing becomes erratic as she succumbs to my ministration.

She begins to moan loudly.

I can't deny her any longer as I take her into my mouth. I twirl my tongue around making her clit hard. She begins to move her hips setting a pace that my mouth willingly matches.

"Oh,yes," she moans out as she cums. I lick her sweet juices, savoring every drop because I know I may never taste her again.

"That," she says and then stops to catch her breath, "that feels so much better when someone else does it."

I try to hide my laughter. My Ana, the masturbator.

I travel back up her body until I am face to face with her. I smile down at her as she looks up at me. I take my hand and caress her cheek. I run my thumb along the outline of her lips. She lifts her head and presses her lips to mine.

She takes the condom that I placed next to the pillow and holds it up to me.

I take it and quickly put it on.

"Ana," I begin and she kisses me, drowning out my words.

I wanted to tell her that once we do this we can't take it back. We can't go back to the way we were. She can't go back to being the girl that lives in my dreams. I can't go back to pretending I don't love her. I can't go back to pretending not to know that she doesn't love me. But my words get lost somewhere between us.

"I want you Elliot," she tells me, sensing my hesitation. "I know what I'm doing. I know who I want. I want you."

She kisses me again, but I hesitate. Does she really know what she's about to give me?

"Stop thinking so much and just fuck me already," she says in frustration.

I stare at her in awe. Even in this exposed state she is still so bold.

I take my dick and run it up her pussy coating it with her orgasm and arousal. She squirms as I tap her clit with the tip of my dick. She inhales deeply when I enter her.

"You're so…Ana….you….shit," I can't even think of anything remotely coherent to say as I wait for my dick to get use to being so tightly enclosed in her virgin pussy. Her breathing slows down and I begin to pump myself in and out of her. I never take my eyes off hers. I am lost in them. I am lost in the sensation that is Anastasia Rose Steele.

Ana's POV

Never have I imagined it would feel this good having him inside me. To be honest, I've never thought of him that way at all. He's always been just Elliot, but right now he is everything. He is perfection. The gray eyes I'd dreamed would look at me with anything other than friendship for so long, have now been replaced by a pair of smoldering deep blue ones.

"Elliot," I moan his name, it sounds so foreign to my ears, but he feels so right.

….

"You okay, Banana," he asks me as he holds me in his arms.

I laugh at my childhood moniker he gave me and still insists on calling me.

"You pick now to call me that," I tell him. "It does nothing for my post coital bliss."

I twirl a lock of his blonde shoulder length hair around my index finger.

"Do you really hate when I call you that," he asks me. I can feel him nuzzle my hair with his nose.

"No," I tell him looking up at him. I give him a peck on the lips, but it quickly turns into a kiss that gets us going again.

I open up the bedside drawer that hold his condoms and holy fuck he has a lot. I shake it off and take one out from its wrapper. He sucks his breath as I move down to put it on.

"You feel so good," I tell him when he enters me. "I could get hooked on you."

"I'm here anytime you want me, baby," he whispers to me.

"Banana," I correct him.

"Mmmmmbanana," he moans and the sound sends me over the edge.

"Oh shit," I scream as I cum hard. He pants out my name as we tumble recklessly into a peaceful unconsciousness.

….

Christian's POV.

"I can't believe this shit," I say to myself as I strip my bed and replace it with fresh sheets. The last thing I wanted to see when I came home from a three hour flight, after spending all damn week sucking up to a bunch of entitled pricks, was my brother and my sister's best friend in bed with some slut I'm sure he just picked up. They are fucking lucky I didn't let Mia pick me up from the airport like she was supposed to.

I rush to open my door when I hear the bell ring. If this is fucking Elliot coming back I swear I'm going to kick his ass.

"Hey," Jen says to me when I open the door to let her in. "I thought you were going to call me when you got back."

"I got side tracked," I tell her giving her a quick peck on the cheek. "How did you know I was here?"

"Dad," she simply says. "So, what side tracked you?"

"My brother," I tell her. "Can you believe he was here, in my bed, about to fuck Ana?"

"Ana," she says laughing. "Well, I have new respect for the nerdy thing."

I blow my breath in frustration.

"What did I say," she feigns innocent as she flips her jet black hair.

"Did you dye your hair," I ask her. I fucking hate it! I like it brown.

"Yeah, two weeks ago, and you are just now noticing, Christian, are you kidding me? Your mom went with me and my mom to that beauty spa in Cedar Mills. I was gone the whole weekend," she tells me.

Right," I tell her, but I don't remember her being gone two weeks ago. As busy as I am trying to get my company off the ground, I can't even remember where I was two weeks ago.

"Wow! What more do I have to do for you? I diet, I excircise the way you tell me to so I can look good and impress your bigshot corperate friends. Do I have to be all boring and goodie goodie for you to notice me? Do I have to have boring brown hair?"

"Lay off of Ana," I tell her. I don't know why she is so jealous of that girl. She's just a fucking kid. She's like a sister to me for fuck sakes.

"Who says I was talking about Ana," she counters. "You always think I'm talking about her."

"Because I know you don't like her," I tell her, "Or Mia for that matter."

"They are the ones that don't like me," she tells me, "they treat me like shit and you never defend me against them."

"Do we really want to spend my first night back arguing over nothing," I ask her.

"No" she says taking a deep breath and wrapping her arms around me. "I did miss you terribly."

"Well why don't you take me to bed and show me," I tell her.

…

Ana's POV

"Elliot wake up,"I shake him. I turn over to turn off his alarm. "Come on get up, you're going to be late."

"Five more minutes, mom," he mumbles and I hold my hands firmly over my mouth to keep my laughing quiet.

I use my best Grace Grey voice to tease him.

"Elliot Grey,"I start, "If you don't get out of that bed right this second..."

"Alright, alright," he says opening up his eyes and looking around.

He breaks out into a mile wide grin when his eyes land on me and I disolve into a fit of laughter.

"Oh you were so cute," I tease him.

I squeal when he suddenly grabs me and kisses me full on the lips.

"Good morning," he says to me. Yes it is.

Elliot and I spent every moment we could together my last week in Seattle. I stayed over at his place and he would drop me off to work at Clayton's bookstore where I've been the cashier for the last two years. He would stop in for lunch whenever he was working nearby.

He came to the little farewell party The Clayton's threw for me. Mrs. Clayton, who has been like a grandmother to me, kept winking me her approval of him the whole time we were there.

We didn't fuck again. He and I both decided it would muck things up between us too much. If I wasn't going away to college for four years and if he wasn't trying to make a success of his new construction company, we would allow ourselves the chance to see where things could go. But with me being all the way on the east coast, and him having to stay and devote his time to Grey Construction, there is no way it could work. At least that was our excuse.

More often times than not though, we found ourselves in compromising situations that had us inching toward his bedroom, but cooler heads always prevailed before anything other than kissing happened.

"Banana," he would always say, "If I was to make love to you again, I wouldn't be able to let you leave without me, business be damned."

"Did we make love," I worked up the nerve to ask him once, but he never answered me.

...

The night before I left for college, Elliot, Christian, and I stayed at The Greys. It had become tradition. We did it when both Elliot and then Christian went off to college so now it was Mia's and my turn. I tried to get out of it, so did Elliot, but Grace wouldn't hear of it.

"Oh, but I've been looking forward to this all summer, I even bought you a pair of the cutest pajamas to wear," she told me.

"It's our last night together as a family. I don't know when we'll all be together again. I miss you all so much. But you go ahead with your plans, dear, don't worry about your sentimental ole mother, I understand how busy you are," she told Elliot.

How could anyone say no to that?

Her children are as different as night and day, but one thing they have in common: they all love their mother, Grace Trevelyan-Grey beyond reason. And no one could fault them for it. She is the epitome of a perfect mother.

Grace and Carrick were best friends with Elliot, Christian, and Mia's parents. When they were killed in an automobile accident, Grace and Carrick adopted their three kids. Elliot being the oldest at six remembers his birth parents well, but Christian was four and Mia was barely one so they really don't remember them at all.

Even though they were extremely busy, Grace as a Pediatrician and Carrick as a lawyer, they made sure to show up at every school function and were active members of the PTA. Carrick even coached Elliot's and Christian's baseball team and Grace was team mom. Adopted or not, they couldn't have loved them more.

….

So now here I am in these damn light pink pajamas with cherries all over them, that Grace insists I look so adorable in. But worst than that, I have to endure a night with Christian, who I still had unresolved feelings for, his girlfriend Jen, and Elliot, my "just friend" who I have to pretend I didn't just give my virginity to six days prior and that I haven't been practically living with him up until tonight.

Not to mention Eagle Eye Carrick, who it seems can sense all that's happening. Thank God Grace and Mia are happily oblivious or I couldn't bare it. The sooner I get out of Seattle and leave for Harvard the better.

"I can't believe you are leaving me all by myself Ana," Mia tells me looking sad as we all sit around the dinner table eating. My mom made us all of our favorite foods before she left. "I wish you would change your mind and come to WSU with me."

"Harvard has a one of the best English Lit programs in the country right now," Carrick tells Mia. "Its an excellent school all around. I'm sure you will stick with it Ana."

He's talking to me, but I know that is a slight against Christian. I guess everyone else does too because the table falls deathly quiet and now I feel bad for him.

"So Ana, english lit, that's great," Jen says and I look at her skeptically wondering why she's being so nice. She takes hold of Christian's hand and I realize she doing it for his benefit.

It makes me see her in a new light. Maybe she does really care about him.

"Maybe you can write a book about Christian when he becomes successful in the business world," she says to me with no snarkiness in her tone for once. I know she is trying to get back at Carrick for his uncalled for remark so I go along with her.

"Oh nothing would please me more," I tell her sincerely, but I hear Mia snicker thinking it was a double entendre.

Embarrassed by the backfire, I look at Jen apologetically and she shakes her head telling me not to worry about it. Christian sees our exchange and winks his approval at me causing me to smile. Elliot, only seeing the wink and my reaction to it, excuses himself from the table. I want to go after him but that would be too obvious.

The first chance I get to sneak away from this disaster of a night unnoticed, I take it. I run off to the boat house on the far end of the property. I beeline right to the secret stash of tequila Elliot and Christian have always kept hidden there.

"Yes!" I yell out when I find it along with a shot glass.

"Hey," I hear Elliot's voice and I jump in surprise. "I was saving that."

"Tough," I tell him and take my shot. I hand him the glass and he does the same. "I'm sorry about that stupid comment I made at dinner."

"Forget about it," he says. "I know how you feel about Christian."

"Well at least one of us knows," I shrug.

"I thought you loved him," he says.

"That was before," I tell him.

"Before what," he asks.

"Before you, you idiot," I tell him.

"Have I thrown a wrench in your plans to run Jen away and win Christian, Banana," he tells me and my eyes go wide.

"Who told you…Mia," I say. "In my defense, I was fourteen. I know better now."

Sometimes, I really hate the fact that I've known these people for so long. I couldn't keep a secret from any of them if I tried.

"What," I say to Elliot looking down at myself to see what the hell he was staring at. "Yeah I know I look ridiculous."

"That's not the word I would go with," he tells me before he takes me in his arms and kisses me.

"I thought…..mmmmm…I thought…..we were just friends," I ask him between kisses.

"I'm not feeling real friendly right now," he tells me.

"Wait," he says stopping me from undressing him.

"What? Really, Elliot," I chastise him. "You are such a tease."

"I'm a what," he says laughing at me.

"You heard me," I tell him crossing my arms defiantly.

"Damn that's a first," he says to me.

"I bet," I tell him remembering all those damn condoms in his drawer.

"Well don't you worry, Banana," he tells me. "I have every intention of having my way with you tonight. I just wanted to give you this." He holds out a small black box to me.

"Something to remember me by," he says when I look at him in question.

Why does it sound so final? I'll be back for winter break.

I take the box anyway and open it. Inside are two silver bands on a black cord necklace. I look at his neck in realization of the fact that he is no longer wearing them. In all the years I've known him, he is never without them. They were his birth parents wedding bands and his strongest link to them.

"Elliot, I can't take this," I tell him shaking my head as I say the words. He silences me with a kiss.

"I want you to have them," he says to me and slips them over my head. I take the rings gently in my hands as he pulls my hair carefully through the cord.

"I promise I'll take good care of them," I tell him and kiss him.

"Banana…..I need to tell you something," he tells me.

"What is it," I whisper to him.

"You asked me if what we did was make love," he begins.

"Yes," I tell him to continue.

"Ana are you in here," Christian's voice comes in a second before he does.

Elliot frowns as I reflexively move away from him.

"What's going on in here," Christian says looking at us.

"Nothing," I say to him, wanting him to hurry up and go away.

"Right, nothing," Elliot says and I can tell by the tone of his voice that I hurt his feeling. He begins to walk out of the boat house.

"Elliot wait," I call to him. "I didn't mean it that way."

I was just trying to get rid of Christian. I didn't think Elliot would want him to know what we were talking about. What was I suppose to say? Was I suppose to tell him I was about to rip his brother's clothes off and let him have his way with me? Did we even want people to know? And what was there to know?

"Forget about it, Ana," he tells me and leaves. "I'm sure you'd rather talk to Christian."

What the hell just happened?

...

"Well what is it Christian," I ask him, trying hard not to throttle him right now.

"I just wanted to thank you for being nice to Jen earlier," he tells me.

"Sure," I tell him. "It's about time don't you think?"

"Now if you can just convince Mia," he tells me.

"Good luck with that," I laugh.

"I'm really going to miss you Kiddo," he tells me.

"I'm going to miss you too," I tell him and I walk away.

"Ana," he calls me back and I turn around to face him again.

"You didn't get mad at me for calling you Kiddo," he tells me and I can tell he doesn't like that fact. I didn't even realize it until he said something, but I no longer care if he sees me as Kiddo.

"No I guess not," I smile at myself. "Goodbye, Christian."

The next morning I left for college. It was suppose to be the happiest time of my life thus far, but I was miserable. Elliot had said his goodbyes to Mia the night before but left without a word to me.

My mom arrives at The Greys in the early morning to drive me to the airport.

I spend most of the drive lost in thought as I slip the larger of the two rings Elliot gave me on and off my finger. The other dangles from its cord around my neck.

"Isn't that Elliot's," my mom says noticing it. "Well I'll be damn. He finally made a move."

"What," I ask her. "You knew?"

"Actually Carrick was the one that brought it to my attention," she tells me. "Then I started to notice him pretending to not notice you. I was really hoping you'd notice. So have you two….uh."

"Mom," I warn her.

"I want you on birth control," she tells me. "You don't need to be young and pregnant like me."

"Was I really that much of a mistake," I ask her.

Carla Steele, my mother, gave birth to me when she was sixteen years old. She married my father, Raymond Steele soon after she found out she was pregnant with me, but he ran out on her and joined the Marines. We haven't heard a word from him, and his family wants nothing to do with us.

When I was eleven, my appendix ruptured and I had to be hospitalized. I nearly died, but Dr. Grace Trevelyan–Gray wasn't about to let that happen. She and my mother hit it off and when my mother was fired from her job because she had to take so many days off to take care of me, Grace offered her a job at her home. My mom was the housekeeper, but surely didn't make a housekeeper's pay. The Grey's were very generous. My mom was able to not only pay for her schooling, but now mine as well. Since I am riding on a full scholarship at Harvard, the money she saved is now going for my apartment close to campus.

"Babygirl, you are the best thing that ever happened to me," she tells me. "Don't you ever believe any different. I don't know what I would do without you in my life. When I tell you I don't want you to get pregnant, it's because I know you have different dreams than I had and I want to see you have everything you could ever want. You deserve nothing less."

"I love you mom," I tell her and she tells she loves me to as best she can through her tears.

We arrive at the airport with time to spare.

"Well look who it is," my mom says and I look in the direction she's motioning to.

We say our good byes and I promise to call her as soon as I land.

"Hey, Banana," he says to me as I walk up to him. "I just wanted….."

That's all he has a chance to say before I pull him into my arms and slip my tongue in his mouth.


	4. Stay

Haunted By You

Chapter 4

Stay

Ana's POV

"Mmmm," he says in response to my kiss. "I love kissing you."

"I love kissing you too," I tell him. "I'm happy you came to say goodbye."

"I'm sorry for leaving the way I did," he tells me, tucking my hair behind my ears. "I just wasn't ready to say goodbye to you. I'm still not. Can you stay?"

"Stay," I ask him.

"Just give me one more day, Banana," he asks me. "Take a flight out tomorrow."

"Okay," I tell him and my heart melts at his smile. "What about all of my stuff?"

"Not a problem," he says pointing to his work van.

I don't know how he did it, but he drove us to his apartment on the other side of town, unloaded all my stuff from his van, and had me semi naked and on top of him in his bed all in less than twenty minutes. He is completely naked underneath me but I am left in nothing but my lacy red bra. I 'm sure he left it on, on purpose. He is definitely a boob man.

I shiver when I feel the tips of his fingers lightly run up my back. He has me much too hot and bothered. He pretends not to notice how I just wet the lower part of his belly.

He unclasps my bra and I sit up so that he can take it off. He slowly drags it down, enjoying every moment of it. He stares at my breast like he is committing them to memory. My harden nipples now are painfully hard in response to his stare.

"Your tits kick ass, Banana" he whispers in amazement and I giggle at his words.

"Such romantic things you say to me," I tell him.

I moan at the feel of his palm as he places it between my breasts at my heart. He slides it up to my neck and cups my cheek. I grab hold of his hand and turn my face to kiss his palm before the pulls me back down on top of him and flip me over.

"We don't have to use that," I tell him when he reaches for the condom and I can see that he is taken aback. "I started taking birth control."

"When," he asks me.

"The day after we….you know," I tell him. "The doctor said as of today, I can have sex."

"I haven't been tested in a while," he admits. "I've never had sex without a condom, but I want to get tested before we have unprotected sex, just to be sure."

"Okay," I tell him.

He rips open the wrapper, puts the condom on, and enters me in three quick motions.

We both moan at the feel of him entering me. He sets an agonizing rhythm. His mouth is at my ear and the feel of his breath tickling my skin has me climbing quickly to my summit.

"Elliot," I moan out his name. Suddenly he flips me back on top of him. I try to set a rhythm but I have none and I am a bit clumsy at it. He grins at me, takes me by the waist and starts to bounce me up and down on top of him.

I laugh at the expression on his face as he watches my boobs bounce up and down.

My laugh breaks way into a deep moan as my orgasm hits. The mixture of cuming and laughing is a strange one. "Oh god," I yell out as I cum full force.

"Banana," Elliot moans a second behind me. He grabs me before I fall out and places me in his arms beside him.

Elliot's POV

I wake to find Ana no longer in bed with me. I look around for the boxers I had on earlier. Unable to find them, I grab a pair from my dresser and walk out into the living room. I see Ana cuddled on the love seat. I have to adjust myself at the sight of her in my boxers and button down shirt.

"Banana," I call for attention.

"Hey," she says. I motion for her to make room for me and she lifts up so that I can sit behind her. She rests the back of her head on my shoulder and I caress her forehead.

"What's the matter, "I ask her.

"I was just thinking that I have to leave you in a few hours," she says sadly.

"I know," I tell her, holding her a bit tighter. I thought giving us another day would make it easier, but it feels much worse. As bad as I feel right now, I don't regret asking her to stay.

"Maybe I could still enroll in WSU," she says.

"No Ana," I tell her turning her around to face me. "There is no way in hell I'm letting you do that."

"I've been thinking about it all week," she confesses to me. "I checked it out. They have a pretty good English lit program."

"Pretty good at WSU is nowhere near good enough for you. I can't let you give up Harvard, Ana," I tell her. "What would you tell your mom and my dad? They'd kill me if they knew the reason you were doing it."

"It's my decision and I'll take the heat," she tells me.

"No," I tell her.

"Why not," she asks me.

"Because you would end up hating me," I tell her and she shakes her head. "We are at different points in our lives Ana, I've already had the experience that you are about to have. It was the best four years of my life, well before you, and I can't…I won't be the one to prevent you from experiencing that. You're eighteen and I'm your first….."

"Is this really as trivial as that? I'm not the same love sick school girl that I was with…," she stops herself before she says Christian.

"No you're not," I tell her. "But this is all still new to you. Don't confuse the intensity of your first time for more than what it is."

"Are you telling me not to fall for you, Elliot," she asks me.

"You're not making this easy for me," I tell her in frustration. "I am trying to do the right thing for once in my life."

"You pick now to do it," she tells me angrily. "Why should I make it easy for you to dump me when I know it's not what either of us wants?"

"Because it's what we have to do "I tell her. "Because if you don't do this…. If you don't follow this dream you've had since I've known you. You will regret it."

"But what if I regret not giving this a chance," she counters. "It's just college, it will always be there but, you won't."

"I'll always be here, Ana," I tell her but instantly regret it. I don't want her thinking she's tied to me when she should be free to experience college life.

"I'll be back in a few months," she says.

"By then you'll probably be head over hills in love with some frat boy," I tell her.

"Don't say that," she tells me.

"Why not," I whisper to her.

"Because I can't imagine being with anyone else," she says.

"You'll forget about me soon enough, Banana," I tell her. "When you see that campus, you'll fall in love with it and everything about it. Soon Seattle will just be a fond childhood memory."

She shakes her head no.

"Why are you making it sound like this doesn't mean anything when it means everything," she asks me.

"I know that it does," I admit to her. "But it's easier to pretend it doesn't."

"Hurts like hell to me," she tells me.

"Come here," I hold out my arms to her. "Let me hold you a bit longer."

….

Ana's POV

Elliot and I said our goodbyes at his place. I insisted on taking a cab to the airport. I didn't think I could get through a public goodbye when the private one was painful enough.

He is firm in his resolve that he and I need to end things. He wants to break it off clean and have me leave on good terms now before it gets messy later. The rational side of me understands him, but my heart isn't at all rational and neither is my pride.

As the plane takes off, I look out of the window and say goodbye to the only home I've ever known. The farther I get away from Seattle the more the lump I have in my throat dissolves. Soon enough, I become excited about what the future holds for me.

…..

My roommate is named Sage Turner. She is a bit taller than I am and with long sandy blonde hair. She's majoring in journalism. She says with a name like hers, what else could she possibly be. We'll have some of the same classes, which is good. My mom is helping out by putting money in my checking account. I have money saved up from my two years working at Clayton's, they gave me much more than what I was worth and I wanted to try and find a job here, but my mom won't hear of it. She wants me to devote most of my time in studying and the rest in having a little fun. I grab Sage and we head off to get a look around.

Elliot was right. I am in love with this campus and I am so glad that I came. But he was wrong about one thing. I won't ever forget about him. He will never be just a fond memory.

We head to what's known as Freshman Hall where I literally bump into a girl with a mass of auburn red hair.

"Sorry about that," I tell her when I nearly spill her coffee.

"It's cool. This is like my third cup anyway, can you believe it's totally free," she says.

"Where is it," Sage asks her and she heads off to the direction of the free coffee.

"I'm Ana," I tell her.

"I'm Laura Elizabeth," she says.

"Laura Elizabeth, like the author," I ask her.

"That's right," she says, surprised that I would pick up on that. "Are you an English lit major?"

"Yeah, I am," I tell her.

"Me too, this is so cool, it's like the best thing ever," she says excited, I think this girl has had way too much coffee. "This is so great, I like you already, and we are going to be the best of friends. That's a cool necklace…"

I instantly touch my neck. It must have fallen out of my shirt when I bumped into Laura. I tuck it safely back in my shirt and walk with her to the table Sage is calling us to. I just listen as she chatters away happily. I get the feeling she's right, we are going to be the best of friends.

...

One week later

Elliot's POV

I haven't spoken to Ana, but we've emailed and texted about twenty times in the last week. She tells me how much she loves it there and she tells me about her "super sophisticated" roommate Sage and her "charged with excitement" friend Laura. It's a big relief to me that she's happy. I would have never forgiven myself if I had ruined things for her. Classes started today and I know she was really excited about that.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss her. I haven't heard from her today and I am anxious to know how her first day went. I look at my phone contemplating if I should call her or not. We are still friends. I can just check on her.

Her face pops up on my screen and I smile. She always beats me to the punch.

"Hey, Banana," I answer her call.

"I love my classes," she blurts out and I smile. "Tess of d'Urbervilles, we are actually reading Tess, can you believe it? It's like my favorite book of all time!"

I think her friend Laura has slipped her some of whatever it is she's been taking.

"So how are you," she says coming up for air.

"Uh, well, I got my first big contract today," I tell her. I know it's probably not as exciting to her, most girls think what I do is boring, but I'm really happy about it.

I've always been interested in engineering and construction. It just comes so easily for me. My dad says it's because my birth father had a real knack for it. He said he could just look once at the box something came in and put it together perfectly without even glancing at the instructions.

"That's great," she says with the same excitement as she had before. "Well, tell me all about it," she says eagerly.

…..

Three Months Later

Ana's POV

I was supposed to go home for winter break. I was really looking forward to going back to Seattle. If I was truthful with myself, I would admit that I really wanted to see Elliot.

But I just got the news today that the exchange program I applied for came through and I have an opportunity to study at London's Oxford University for six months. Apparently, I came highly recommended by my British lit professor, Dr. Ashby.

My mom was heartbroken that now an ocean was about to separate us, but she was also very happy for me. She was worried about me being alone but she was relieved to hear that three other students, including Laura was coming with me.

I call Elliot with the news and he tries but fails not to sound disappointed that it's going to be another six months before we see each other.

Classes ended yesterday and everyone has gone home for winter break. I'm in my dorm room and I'm lonely. Sage went home to New York. She offered to stay until I leave for London in three days but I insisted that she go ahead with her plans. Laura went home for a bit too since she lives in Boston. She wanted me to come home with her, but I wasn't up to it.

Bored, I decide to waste time rechecking to make sure I packed everything.

"Oh to hell with this," I say to myself as I turn on my computer. I look for flights that will take me home to Seattle.

Two days is better than nothing.

I am just about to book the flight when I hear a knock on the door. I frown thinking it's Jane, the Resident Advisor, again. She is really getting on my damn nerves. So what if I'm the only one still here, I'm not preventing her from leaving.

I go to open the door pissed. I catch my breath when I see Elliot standing there.

"Hey, Banana," he whispers to me.

"Hey," I say to him. I look beyond him to see Jane standing there glaring at me. "Its fine Jane, he's an old friend from home."

"This is against the rules," she says to me.

"There is no one else here, Jane, let it go," I tell her. "Don't you have a flight to catch?"

She rolls her eyes at me.

"Fine, but if he rapes your ass, don't say I didn't try to protect you," she says, causing me and Elliot to give her a look. What a messed up thing to say.

"Come in," I tell him. He comes in and looks around.

"So this is where the magic happens huh," he says.

"You're here," I tell him.

"Yup," he says sheepishly. "I wanted to see you before you left for London."

"I was on my way to Seattle to see you," I tell him and he smiles. "I guess I beat you to the punch this time."

"I guess so," I tell him wanting nothing more than to fall into his arms and kiss him. "It's good to see you…I…uh…"

He laughs at my pathetic attempt at small talk.

He caresses my check and my eyes close as I relish his touch.

"This friendship thing isn't working is it," he says to me. His voice husky with need.

"No," I tell him. "It doesn't do a thing for me."

He pulls me toward him with little effort as I go willingly into his arms. Like magnets to metal, our lips connect.

We break away just long enough for me to take off his pull-over sweater and for him to remove my t shirt. I move backwards leading him to my regular sized bed. I fall back onto it, pulling him down on top of me.

He quickly takes off his jeans and underwear and helps me to do the same.

"Are you still on the pill," he ask me and I nod my head yes. "My test came back clean."

Even though we are on my small bed, I manage to flip him over.

"Let me try something first," I tell him.

His eyes are burning with fire as he watches me remove my bra and move down his body. I settle myself between his legs. I look up at him and his belly is moving up and down in waves as he anticipates my next move.

I take his dick in my hand and it is very large, not at all like the fake one I've been practicing with.

"Oh fuck," he moans out as I take him into my mouth and suck him. I let my tongue run along the seam of the tip of his dick then plunge it back into my mouth again. Normally I would be embarrassed by my sucking and slurping sounds but they seem to be turning him on.

"Oh shit yes," he moans out as I take him all the way in and swallow him down.

"Ana, wait, I'm about to," is all he can get out before I taste the salty cream that is his cum.

"Oh yes, oh fuck. Fuck yes," is all he can say as I continue to swallow him through his orgasm. When he is all done cuming, I take him out of my mouth and lick him.

"Where did you learn how to do that," he pants out.

"Was it bad," I ask him.

"Bad," he breaths "no, it was good, it was amazing."

"Um," I begin. "I learned it from Laura."

"What," he looks at me confused and I laugh.

"She has this video and she, Sage, and I bought some fake penises and we practiced on how to do it," I explain to him.

"God, I love college girls," he laughs.

"Hey," I hit his chest in mock anger.

"I mean just you, Banana," he says, before realizing what his words meant. But here they are in the air and he can't rein them back in.

"Ana," he begins, but I kiss him to shut him up before he says something stupid to ruin it. I pour my heart out into that kiss. He wraps his arms tightly around me and kisses me back hard telling me all the things he can't say with words.

I smile when I feel him rock hard again. Without breaking our contact, I straddle him and slip his dick inside me.

"Oh yes," we both moan out in pleasure at the feel of his bare dick inside of me.

"Banana, you feel so good," he breaths out. "You are so good. So perfect. So smart and beautiful and your body, just the thought of it gets me hard. There is nothing about you that doesn't turn me on..."

"Oh, Elliot," I scream out about to cum from his words.

"Oh…My…God," a voice says. My orgasm gets sucked back up as Elliot and I freeze and look toward the door.

"Jane," I yell at her. "What the hell are you doing in here?"

"I was worried," she says staring at us. My face is flaming red but Elliot is not embarrassed at all.

"GET OUT," I scream at her, wondering why she's still standing there. She quickly leaves. "That's not funny," I scold Elliot as he laughs, trying not to laugh myself.

"Give her a break," he tells me. "I'm glad she came back to check on you."

Elliot and I spend the next two days together. Most of the time was spent in my bedroom, but I did show him the campus and he loved it just as much as I did.

…

His flight back to Seattle is now boarding. Saying good bye proves harder than the last time.

"I'm going to miss you, Banana," he tells me.

"Me too," is all I can get out through my tears. He takes my face in his hands and uses his thumbs to wipe them away. "What happens to us now, do we go back to being friends?"

"No," he whispers to me as he nuzzles the side of my nose with his nose. "We would just be kidding ourselves. I won't hold you back from what you want, if you met someone, Ana…."

"Please don't say it," I tell him. "I know six months is a long time for you."

"Not that long," he assures me. "I've waited for you for two years before remember? My right hand has gotten really strong lately."

I can't believe he just said that.

"Have fun," he tells me kissing me on my forehead. "And stay safe."

I nod to him. He quickly turns to leave. I watch as he makes his way through the security check point.

I turn to walk away when I hear a commotion and I quickly turn back around to see Elliot running towards me.

"Hey stop that guy," the TSA officer shouts.

Elliot reaches me and takes me in his arms again, kissing me. Everyone backs off when they see it's just a guy saying goodbye to his…..whatever I am.

"I love you," he whispers to me.

"I...I love you," I pant, trying not to cry as I am overwhelmed by emotions.

"Alright come on," The TSA officer grabs Elliot by the arm and leads him back through the check point. Elliot never takes his eyes off of me and I burn his big love struck grin into my memory.


	5. Ana's Return

Haunted By You

"I love you," he whispers to me.

"I...I love you," I pant, trying not to cry, as I am overwhelmed by emotions.

...

Chapter 5

Ana's Return

Six Months Later

Ana's POV

To say I fell in love with London would be a gross misuse of the word, but it's true. The program was hard, but I excelled. My mom came to visit and spent a month with me. We had so much fun visiting the different eateries and tasting all of the varieties of food London has to offer. The experience gave her some great ideas for the catering business she is excited about opening.

Elliot and I were doing great when I first arrived in London, we talked and texted everyday. But after a few months, we drifted apart. Now I rarely get to talk to him anymore. When I text or email him, he takes forever to respond, if he ever does. I try to call, but most times it just goes straight to voicemail. When he does answer, he doesn't have much to say to me and I feel like I'm bothering him. I know something is wrong, but he just won't talk to me about it. I talk to Mia a lot. I ask her about everyone, trying to see if she will talk to me about Elliot, but she confessed that she doesn't hear much from him anymore. She sounds hurt and I know he is shutting his family out too.

At the end of our program, when Laura and I were given the opportunity to extend our stay there, of course she jumped at it.

I texted Elliot before I made my decision to stay, I was hoping that he would give me some sign that he wanted me to come back to the states. Three hours later, his only response was "congratulations". So I stayed in London. Laura and I returned to Harvard six months before graduation.

….

One Week After Returning Home

"Ana, just help me set up for the party and then you can go, okay," my mom asks me knowing full well I don't want to be anywhere near Bellevue. Especially, at Mia's pool party. Especially, if there is even the slightest chance of me running into Elliot.

"Mom, I told you what happened already," I tell her in frustration. "The last place I want to be is at his parent's house."

"Anastasia Rose Steele," she starts in her don't mess with mom tone and I am now reduced to a four year old again.

"You are going to have to talk to the man sometime," she tells me. "Even in a city as big as Seattle, there is no way you are going to avoid him when you are friends with his sister."

"I already told her I wasn't coming," I tell my mom, as I pout at her. She wants to treat me like a four year old, I'll act like one.

"Please, I really need your help, babygirl," she guilts me. "This party can drum up a lot of business for me."

"Okay," I give in. "I'll set up and that's it."

"You really should talk to him though, Ana," she tells me. "You might be surprised at what he has to say. He asks me not to tell you, but trust me, you really need to talk to him, okay."

"There is nothing he needs to say," I tell her. "He was very clear when he stopped calling me."

…

"Ana, hi," Mia says to me as I am on my way out of her parent's front door. Just when I thought I had managed to avoid all the Greys. "I thought you weren't coming?"

"No, I'm not," I tell her, giving her a hug. "I was just helping my mom set up. I was just leaving. Have fun at your party."

"You are not leaving," Grace says coming into the foyer. "Mia, go and get Ana one of those new swim suits you just bought."

"Okay, great," Mia claps her hands and runs off upstairs.

Grace waits until she is out of earshot before she continues to talk to me.

"How are you, my dear," she hugs me.

"I'm okay," I tell her. "I'm good."

"He's not coming, Ana," she tells me.

"You know about us," I ask her in surprise.

"Yes," she tells me. "He told me how much you mean to him. Ana, I love my son, but he is a fool for letting you go without explanation. When you do see him, please, don't be too hard on him. Please hear what he has to say. In the meantime, you stay right here and have a good time with your friends."

"Okay," I tell her giving her a hug.

…..

Christian's POV

I maneuver through the crowd of scantily clad people, trying to make my way to my parent's backyard. Mia just graduated from WSU and she's thrown a party to reconnect with all of her friends.

Outside, I scan the crowd and spot her sitting pool side with a group of girls. I smile at the sight of her. I can't believe how much she changed in the last four years. I hate that I haven't seen much of her while she was away. I've been so busy making my company, Grey Enterprise Holdings Inc., a success. It monopolizes most of my time. What free time I have is spent with my fiancé Jen.

Mia spots me and her face turns into an all out grin as she leaves her friends to come and say hello to me. I get a look at the eyes of the boys following her as she runs to me and I wish she would but on some shorts or at least a one piece suit instead of that damn barely there bikini she's wearing.

"Christian," she says hugging me. "I'm so glad you came."

"I wouldn't have missed it, Mia," I tell her. "But I can't stay long. I have to get back to the office."

"Oh come on," she moans. "Are you really working on a Saturday? You are just as bad as Elliot. Well at least you showed up, unlike him."

"Give us a break, will you," I tell her. "Our companies don't run themselves."

"Fine, whatever," she says. "Hey wait, you need to say hi to Ana first before you go."

I look around for her, not even realizing she was here.

"Where is she," I ask after not being able to find her. I usually can spot her pretty easily by looking for the girl who has the most clothes on. I've always loved that about her. She never had to try hard, showing off her body to where it was overkill.

"She's over there," Mia says pointing to the crowd of girls she just walked away from. "Ana, come and say hi to Christian."

My eyes land on her as she gets up. I am frozen to the spot watching her walk toward me. I am unable to breathe. That can't be Ana. She is the most gorgeous woman I have ever laid my eyes on.

She has always had the most amazing baby blue eyes, but now they are framed by a mane of thick flowing chestnut hair that magnifies her flawless pale skin. Her full breast are barely being contained in her biking top and those legs, I have to stop myself from fantasizing about her, naked in my bed, with those legs wrapped around me.

"Christian," she says walking up to me. The sound of my name on her lips is doing naughty things to me. Fuck, what is wrong with me? Get a grip Grey, this is Ana. She was like a sister to you. "It's good to see you again. Its' been a long time."

"Much too long," I agree after finding my voice.

She is naturally beautiful with not a stitch of make- up on her, except on those full lips, pink and shining from lip gloss. Jesus, the things I want to do to that mouth. On their own accord, my eyes move down her body to check her out again. I glance over at Mia who is now shocked faced and I'm sure she just noticed. Shit put your game face on Grey. "I didn't know you were going to be here."

"I wasn't," she tells me. "I was helping my mom set up, she catered. Mia and Grace insisted that I stay. Mia even gave me this suit."

Thank you, Mia. But damn, these other fuckers are noticing her.

"That's right, "I tell her pretending to be surprised. "Your mom has a catering service now."

"Edible Steele," she tells me proudly.

"I don't know how you forgot that Christian," Mia teases me. "Mom says you use her service every month at your board meetings."

"Oh that's right," Ana says joining in the teasing and ganging up on me like they did when they were kids, "owner and CEO of a major company. It all sounds so intriguing."

"It's really not," I tell her honestly.

"Oh don't be modest," she says. "I see your face in all of those business magazines. SIP is all up in arms trying to get an elusive as told to me by Christian Grey published. Whoever your P.R. team is, they do a great job of keeping everyone guessing about you."

"SIP," I ask her.

"Seattle Independent Publishing," Mia says excited. "Can you believe they offered Ana the job of Commissioning Editor before she even graduated Harvard?"

"It really wasn't as easy as that, they made me jump through all kinds of hoops when I applied," Ana says to me, brushing off the accomplishment, but I don't believe it. She's always been damn smart. She can hold her own against me and I consider myself a genius.

"Well, I'm not quite that important yet," I lie to her. "But I'm working on it."

"Ana, you forgot your drink," a blonde haired boy comes to stand next to her giving her a cocktail.

"Oh thanks," she says taking it. "Paul, you remember Christian, right?"

Paul? Is this that pimply faced fucker who used to hang out with the two of them at that god awful bookstore? I bristle up when he puts his arm around Ana, clearly staking his claim on her.

"Yeah, hey Christian," he says and I nod a hello. "Come on Ana, I'm hungry. Help me pick out something good."

Oh this little fucker is really bringing his A game.

"Sure," Ana says, unaware of the pissing contest going on in her honor. "See, you later Christian."

"Yes you will," I say to her but I never take my eyes off of Paul, who's neck looks like it's about to pop a blood vessel.

"You are paper thin, brother dear," Mia says, laughing at me after they've gone.

"What," I say pretending not to have a clue as to her meaning.

"Oh what, what," she says. "You look like a freight train just hit you and its name is Anastasia Steele."

"Don't be silly, Mia," I tell her. "she's practically family."

"Oh really," she says to me. "Family doesn't give you a boner like that."

"Oh shit," I say embarrassed and adjusting myself discreetly. "Did she see it?'

"She didn't," Mia says. "Her eyes never left yours, but I know Paul did. Forget him. Ana just use to work for his grandparents at Clayton's bookstore. He is stuck in the friend zone, but Ana has always had a thing for you."

I knew she had a crush on me when we were younger, but there was no way I was giving up Jen, I needed to stay in her father's good graces.

"I'm engaged Mia," I remind her and more importantly myself.

"To a complete bitch, Christian," Mia counters and I can't argue with that.

Jen has gotten bitter over the years. I'm sure she's figured out I don't really love her as much as I should. If I wasn't still indebted to her father for helping me get started with GEH, I would have dropped her when I first found out she was cheating on me. Now as it stands, I am backed into a corner and I have to marry her, nevermind the fact that she's been fucking my head of security behind my back for the last two months.

"Go enjoy your party," I tell Mia.

"Fine I'll go, but Ana is not going to be available for long," she warns me. "Look at her. Practically every guy in this place is lusting for her."

"Enjoy your party, Sis." I tell her, shooing her away like I use to when she annoyed me.

I look over at Ana. She is in a crowd and the boys are hanging on her every word. Fucking Paul has his filthy arm draped across her and it looks like she is a bit put off by it as she tries to side step him a little. Maybe I should stick around a bit longer.

I've been here a few hours now dodging Mia as I try to be discreet and not let on that I am watching Ana. One of Mia's friends is chatting me up about some nonsense. She keeps sticking her nasty looking tits in my face. She really needs to sue her plastic surgeon up the ass for giving her those things.

Finally I see Ana wander off down by the boat house alone and I take the opportunity to follow her.

"This is bullshit," I tell her and she whirls around startled. I am awe struck by the way her body moves. What happened to the clumsy girl I use to tease?

"I thought you left," she tells me. Her smile takes my breath away.

"No, I decided to stay after all," I tell her. "It can't always be about business."

"What's bullshit," she remembers my comment from a minute ago.

"Mom would never have let me or Elliot have a party like this," I tell her.

"Well," she says remembering. "I recall a party for Elliot right before he went away to college. After the police left, I remember your mom yelling at the two of you, telling you that you will never be allowed to have a party again as long as there is breath in her body."

I laugh at the memory. Elliot had smuggled in a few bottles of tequila he used to spike the drinks along with four kegs of beer he hid in the boat house. Hell I can barely remember what happened, but it cost my parents a pretty penny to redo the lawn.

"Do you even remember filling the pool up with red gelatin," she asks me and I laugh.

"Point well made, Kiddo," I tell her.

"Still, really," she asks me shaking her head in disbelief.

"Forgive me, Miss Steele," I tease her.

I stand staring at her and I know I'm making her uncomfortable because she begins to fidget.

Damn what I wouldn't give to have her on my arm at my business events. She would compliment me so perfectly. She would drive those stodgy old bastards up the wall. I can just see their faces now.

"Ana, you just look so different," I tell her, shaking off vision.

"Well, it's been four years," she says. "I couldn't stay in my awkward stage forever, thank god."

"I liked your awkward stage," I tell her.

"You liked torturing me in my awkward stage," she corrects me.

"Was I really that mean," I ask her and she shakes her head no.

"Well, you are too beautiful to tease now," I tell her.

"My mom says you're engaged," she tells me. Shit! Why do I keep forgetting about Jen? "Jen must be so proud of you. She always knew you would be a success. I'm really happy for you, Christian."

"Thank you, Ana," I tell her. "So what are you doing down here all by yourself?"

"I was just thinking about the last time I was here at the boat house," she says.

"Ah, I remember," I tell her. "The night before you went off to college, you and Elliot were fighting."

"Yeah, I guess we were," she says. "How is Elliot, by the way?"

"He's MIA most of the time," I tell her. "Other times he's hanging out with Kate."

"Kate," she says surprised.

"Yeah, go figure," I tell her. "They've been going at it hot and heavy from what I see. I guess she made a good impression on him that night you all uh…"

"Yeah, let's not talk about that," she says shaking her head.

"Ana, there you are," Mia comes up to us. "Is Christian being nice to you?"

"A perfect gentleman," Ana says to her.

Oh if she only knew.

"Christian, mom wants to see you," Mia says.

"How does she even know I'm here," I ask her.

"I may have said something," Mia says guiltily.

"Thanks a lot Mia," I tell her, already knowing mom wants to talk to me about my engagement. She and dad are not at all happy that Jen and I are engaged and they never let an opportunity pass to tell me so.

Ana's POV

I cannot believe him! Kate! Is that what's been wrong with him, he didn't have the balls to just tell me he wanted to be with Kate!

Well fuck him! And I'm going to tell him that to his face.

"Mia where's Elliot," I ask her, trying not to sound as angry as I am.

"He is at a worksite on Spring Street," she says. "Close to downtown, I think."

Finding out exactly where the construction site is, I change into a t-shirt and black shorts and drive from Bellevue to downtown.


	6. Fuck Off Elliot!

Haunted By You

Chapter 6

Fuck Off Elliot!

Ana's POV

I turn in on Spring Street and arrive at the worksite but it looks deserted. I see the gate is still opened, so I pull inside, but I fear I may have missed him.

The site is huge and I really don't feel comfortable wandering around. Luckily, a man comes walking up to where I'm standing next to my car. He is tall lean, but muscular.

"Can I help you, Miss," he asks me.

"I was looking for Elliot Grey," I tell him. "I'm an old friend of his, Ana Steele."

"Sure, of course, Ana," he says happily and familiar. "I'm his Foreman, Tucker Haggerty, let me just see where he is." He quickly gets on his radio and asks for the location of the boss.

Tuck, as he prefers to be called, escorts me to a small portable bungalow. I thank him, walk up the ramp, take a deep breath and walk through the open door. Elliot is so engrossed in what he is doing that he hasn't noticed I've come in. I take a minute to watch him unabashed. Just being this close to him again makes me weak and all of the anger I built up on the drive over here begins to melt away.

My eyes take him all in. He is wearing blue jeans that fit just right and a blue button down work shirt. The short sleeves show off his arms, which are more defined than they were three years ago. He is using them as leverage, leaning on the palms of his hands, while he stands hovering over his work desk. He has a slight tan and his blonde hair is sun kissed making it look almost like honey.

"Elliot," I call his name after a few minutes of watching him study his blueprints.

"Ana," he says looking up in shocked surprise when he hears my voice.

"You cut your hair," I tell him and I mentally kick myself. What a stupid thing to say after three years.

"Just a little," he says looking at me in wonder. His hair just barely sweeps the top of his shoulders. He blinks a few times just to make sure I'm really standing in front of him. "Wa..What are you doing here?"

"Do you want me to go," I ask him, disappointed.

"No," he tells me quickly. "It's good to see you. Wow! You look..."

"Then why haven't you come to see me," I ask him, moving closer to the table he's still standing behind. "I've been home for over a week already. I'm sure Grace told you I was back."

"Ana….I," he tries and fails to find the words to explain.

"What? Oh wait, I heard," I tell him. "I guess Kate has you pretty busy, huh?"

"Kate," he says confused.

"Oh please don't play dumb, Christian told me all about it," I tell him.

"So, you've already seen Christian, then," he asks me.

"Don't make this about Christian," I tell him. "This is about you and Kate."

"There is no me and Kate," he tells me. "My bone head brother got it all wrong."

"You know what forget it," I yell at him. "It doesn't matter who it is. It sure as hell isn't me. You left me high and dry without so much as a word! You couldn't just tell me to fuck off, no, that's too much like right. Instead you left me to wonder for three damn years! Well fuck you, Elliot Grey! I came all the way out here to tell you that to your face. I at least gave you that much. Now, I am so done!"

"Ana, wait a minute," he calls for me when I walk away.

"Go fuck yourself Elliot," I yell back over my shoulder at him. "You see how easy it is?"

I am so pissed. What the hell did I expect from him anyway after all this time? He obviously doesn't want me anymore.

I walk faster when I hear his work boots walking quickly behind me.

"Ana," he says, catching up to me before I walk out of the door. He grabs hold of my arm. I whirl around and the momentum causes my necklace to come out of my v-neck T-shirt. It catches Elliot's eye.

"You still wear it," he asks me holding the rings in his hand.

"You want it back," I ask him defiantly, but secretly I'm praying he'll say no. He smiles at me.

"Yeah, I want it back," he says, his voice, a whisper from holding in his emotions, "as long as you're attached to it."

He grabs hold of the necklace and uses it to gently pull me into him. I want to resist, but my mouth is screaming for his. He wraps his arms around me and they feel so good. I've missed this.

"No," I tell him, pulling away. "You can't just do that after all these years, Elliot."

"I've missed you so much," he tells me cupping my head in his hands. His eyes dance over my face as he studies me from hair to chin.

"Oh really, and were you calling my name while you were balls deep in Kate," I ask him, swatting his hands away from me.

"I wasn't with Kate," he tells me. "We are just friends. She was helping me out with something. She's more into girls now."

"Kate….since when," I ask him.

"Since that night she thought she was going to get to fuck you," he tells me. My mouth falls open in surprise and he uses the opportunity to kiss me again.

"Elliot, we can't just pick up where we left off," I tell him pushing him away, but he holds fast to me.

"Why not," he asks. "I'm not seeing anyone. Are you?"

I shake my head no.

He presses his lips to mine again, but this time I don't fight him.

He lifts me up and I wrap my legs around his waist. He carries me over to the desk and sits me on top of his blue prints.

"Elliot, we can't," I tell him as best I can with his tongue in my mouth. "Are we alone?"

"Yes, everyone's gone," he tells me. He moves away from me and locks the door just in case. "It's just you and me."

I pull him into my arms as his mouth finds mine again.

"Are you still on the pill," he asks me and I nod yes.

"When were you tested," I ask him.

"I haven't been with anyone. Have you?"

I shake my head no.

"I've missed you so much, Banana," he tells me, and that brings me back to reality.

"Get off of me," I push him away and jump down from the table, my anger coming back full force.

"You missed me? Well whose fault was that? Three years Elliot," I yell at him. "Not a word from you. Not one phone call, barely a text…!

"I got into some trouble, Ana," he interrupts my rant. "I couldn't talk to you. I couldn't talk to anyone."

"What kind of trouble," I ask him, my anger is quickly replaced with concern. "Are you okay?"

"It's better now," he tells me.

"What happened," I ask him.

"Grey Construction, it took a bad hit when the economy first tanked," he tells me.

"Are you kidding me," I ask him, getting pissed off all over again. "That is what kept you away from me for years!"

"You were in London, happy," he tells me. "I wasn't going to burden you with my shit."

"Why couldn't you just talk to me," I ask him.

"I couldn't," he yells. "I was broke, Ana. I lost everything. My apartment, my car, I had to move back in with my parents for two fucking years, for Christ's sake! I couldn't get work! It wasn't just me, it was my whole crew. They were all counting on me and I blew it."

"I'm still not hearing why you couldn't tell me about this," I tell him. "I would have been there for you."

"That is the last thing I wanted," he tells me. "I didn't want you to know I was depending on my parents for everything. It made me feel like shit. I couldn't even afford to feed myself. Ana, I was so ashamed. Meanwhile my baby brother was damn near a millionaire. I couldn't face you knowing that."

"So that's what it was about," I tell him. "You were comparing yourself to Christian?"

"I was convinced you would feel that you picked the wrong brother," he tells me.

"Did you really see me as that shallow," I ask him. "That I could just turn off my feelings for you, jump ship and go fall in love with Christian because he was wealthy?"

"You know I didn't," he tells me. "I knew you had feelings for Christian that had nothing to do with his money. But that didn't mean you wanted to be with a derelict either."

"You are not a derelict because you and over a third of the country have fallen victim to the economy," I tell him. "And let's get something straight, whatever feelings I had for Christian are long gone. It was a crush, Elliot. I don't care about your brother's money. I am happy for him. I wish him all the best, but you were the one I wanted to be with. "

"Even if that meant microwaving frozen dinners in my parent's basement," he asks me.

"Hmmm," I say, pretending to think. "I think I could have whipped us up something a little better than that."

He laughs at me.

"So, it looks okay now, what happened," I ask him looking around.

"Christian bought back the shares I had in his company, and I used the money to start over," he tells me. "The economy is better than it was and I had built up a reputation with the jobs I had, so now they are using me again. I won the bids of a few big projects and I have a few more lined up, so the noose isn't as tight as it was."

"That's good," I tell him relieved and he nods.

"Are you still pissed at me," he asks.

"Yes," I tell him angrily. "You could have told me you needed time to get yourself together. I would have waited. I would have come home."

"That's exactly what I didn't want," he tells me in frustration.

"Why haven't you called me," I ask him. "I've been back for several days and you said yourself you're doing better now."

"I wanted to give you time to see everyone," he says. "I didn't want to pile all my shit on top of you."

"You were waiting for me to see Christian," I accuse him. "What did you think would happen? That I would just forget about you and fall under some spell. I would be seduced by his charm and his money?"

"Ana," he calls to me.

"No, really, I want to know," I keep going, "was that how it was supposed to go? Forget the fact that he's engaged to his longtime girlfriend. No, I wouldn't care about that. I would just steam roll right over her. Forget about the fact that I don't even want Christian. Have you always thought of me this way? Or is this some new shit you put in your own head to justify you not wanting me anymore?"

"How could you say that," he tells me. "I have always wanted you. It's you who never wanted me."

"What the hell do you think I'm doing here," I yell at him.

"I don't want to be your second choice anymore, Ana," he tells me.

"Is that what you think," I ask him. "Is that what you've always thought?"

His silence tells me that is exactly what he thought.

"Elliot, I didn't even know you were a choice back then," I explain to him. "With all those blondes attached to you, I had no idea you even noticed me, let alone liked me. The moment you told me how you felt, there was no one else for me, but you. I gave myself to you that night because I wanted to be with you and I still do."

"Things are better for me Ana, but I'm still on shaky ground right now," he tells me. "You deserve better than that. I can't ask you to be with me when I can't guarantee…."

"The only guarantee I ever wanted was that you and I would be together," I tell him. "But you chose to be without me."

"I didn't want to drag you down with me," he tells me.

"I should have had a say in that,Elliot," I spit out at him. "Why do you get to make all of the decisions in this relationship?"

"Relationship? Is that what we're in," he asked surprised. "Are you giving me a chance to make this right, Ana?"

"I don't know," I tell him, unsure. "What happens the next time you can't find work, or something else bad happens. Are you going to just dump me and go it all alone, because I won't be in a relationship alone, Elliot. I understand that I was far away before, but I'm here now. I need to know that no matter what happens we'll deal with it together. I need to know that you'll be there for me and I need to know that you will let me be there for you. Can you stop trying to protect me from you? Can you stop thinking I picked you as some consolation prize? Can you realize how very much I love you?"

"I…. yes….I can do that," he tells me, swallowing hard. "I can do all of that."

"Okay, then," I tell him, taking a deep breath.

"So, does this mean, I'm forgiven," he asks me, hopeful.

"Oh hell no," I tell him. "You have three years to make up for, Mr. Grey. I expect a lot of ass kissing from you. In fact, I want to feel a lot of kissing of my ass."

"Well, in that case, Miss Steele," he grins. "I think I should get started with that right now."

He pulls me into his arms and kisses me full on the lips.

"Banana," I remind him.

"Banana," he whispers. "I love you too. I want you."

"Have me then," I tell him.

He sweeps the table clean, the blueprints fall to the floor, lifts me up and I resume my place on the table.

I pull him between my legs and unbutton his shirt. Damn he's been working out alot. Not being able to resist, I run my hands along his pecks and down his arms.

"You like what you see, Banana," he chuckles at me.

"Mmhhmm," is my only response as I kiss his neck up to his jaw line and finally his mouth.

"Mmmm," he moans.

He pulls the hemline of my t shirt, draws it up over my head and tosses it aside. His fingers play with the clasp of my bra before he unhooks it and slowly frees my breast of their constraints.

"Jesus," he says to himself as he stares at my chest. My breathing quickens as he leans forward and takes one of my nipples in his mouth. My back arches in response. He suckles me until my nipple is painfully hard before he moves on to the next to give it equal attention. My wet abandoned nipple is hit by the cold air of the air conditioner and I shiver. He stops instantly.

"Are you cold," he asks me.

"Just a little," I tell him.

He grabs his jacket, puts it on me and zips it up.

He picks up his blueprints and carefully rolls them up.

"What are you building here," I ask him.

"Kavanagh Media, wanted a new location" he says. "Kate knew I was in construction so she passed my name on to her father. He liked my work and here I am. It's a really big contract Ana."

"Is that why you were spending time with Kate," I ask him.

"I was spending time with Kate and her parents," he tells me. "It's a family project and they all want to be a part of it."

I look at a computerized image of a building behind him that reads Kavanagh Media. It is a large modernly designed three story building with an impressive round glassed entrance.

"Wow," I say, dumbstruck. "You can actually build that?"

"Yeah," he laughs. "I can actually build that."

"That really turns me on," I tell him and it is true. I've always been a sucker for guys who could build and create things.

He grabs his shirt and holds out his hand to me.

"Well in that case, come on," he says.

"Where are we going," I ask him.

"My new place," he tells me. "We'll take your car. I'll come back for mine later."

He safely drives like a bat out of hell until we reach our destination.

….

We bee line right to his bedroom and once again he has me naked, in his bed screaming out his name as I cum underneath him.

"Damn, I've missed that," he says through gulps of air.

"Me too," I tell him laying my head on his chest. "I've been miserable without you."

"Me too," he tells me, holding me tight in his arms. "I'm sorry Banana."

"Don't ever leave me like that again, Elliot," I tell him.

"Never. From now on it's you and me, no matter what happens" he tells me. "I promise you that."


	7. Laters Baby

"So, does this mean, I'm forgiven," he asks me, hopeful.

"Oh hell no," I tell him. "You have three years to make up for, Mr. Grey. I expect a lot of ass kissing from you. In fact, I want to feel a lot of kissing of my ass."

"Well, in that case, Miss Steele," he grins. "I think I should get started with that right now."

Haunted By You

Chapter 7

Laters Baby

Elliot's POV

After repeatedly kissing Ana's ass while making love to her, she and I were knocked out for most of the night. But I am awakened before the sun comes up by the feel of her body moving on to mine.

"Are you sleeping," she whispers with her face pressed into the side of mine.

"Mmhhmm," is my only answer causing her to laugh. "Are you in need of some more ass-kissing?"

"Yes, please," she grins.

I turn her over so that I may actually kiss her ass and damn if I don't fall in love with it. I've never been much of an ass man, but hers is perfect, just like her tits. Who the hell am I kidding, I'm an Ana man. I love every part of her. I pepper her ass with tongue kisses. Her moaning gets me hard. I want to flip her over and have my way with her, but her ass gives me a better idea.

"Get on your knees, banana," I instruct her. She quickly complies and tucks herself up on her knees. I check to see if she is wet for me. She moans as I run my dick up her pussy and I am not surprise to find her soaking. I knew she would be when she woke me up. I slowly enter her from behind. She's as tight as she was the first time I made love to her and I fear I may be hurting her. My fears are quickly put to rest when she starts moaning my name. Damn she feels so good.

She yelps in surprise when I smack her lightly on her ass.

"Hey," she says, whipping her head around to look at me over her shoulder. "You're supposed to be kissing it."

"I just love this ass of yours," I tell her and she smiles. She pushes it back into me and I slap it again. I grab hold of her hips and start pumping into her faster and harder.

"Oh god," she yells and drops her head on the pillow as she cums.

"Oh fuck," I moan out. She squeezes my dick so hard that she forces me to cum and I am nearly paralyzed by the strength of it.

"I'm hooked on you again," she breaths out as I hold her from behind.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," I tell her.

I kiss her shoulder and she reaches behind her and run her fingers through my hair.

"What have you been doing since I've been away," she asks me after we've caught our breath.

"Most of my time was spent making Grey Construction stronger," I tell her. "When I first got into trouble I used my savings to help sustain the payroll, hoping things would pick up again. After a few months of that, my parents offered to do it, but I couldn't let them pour money into what I knew was failing. I got the guys together and I told them I had to throw in the towel."

"That must have been hard," she says to me.

"They were more worried about me," I tell her honestly. "Especially Tuck."

"I met him," she tells me. "Seems like a nice guy. He acted like he knew who I was."

"Well I talk about you enough," I laugh. "He was my roommate in college."

"Was that the time you stopped talking to me," she asks. "When you had to let your crew go?"

"Yeah," I tell her. "Not just you, I stopped talking to everyone. I looked for work, but there was nothing. Everything was all dried up. Construction sites were just left abandoned. We all took a big hit. Only the big companies were left standing."

She turns in my arms to face me.

"I wish I would have known you were going through all of this," she tells me feeling guilty. I shake my head. "How did you get it all back?"

"I was depressed for a whole lot of months," I tell her hating the memory. "I think my mom heard one of our conversations where I wasn't really responding to you, and she got pissed at me. She reminded me of who I am and told me to get off of my ass and start again. So I got a few of the guys together, including Tuck, and worked my ass off to make Grey Construction stronger than it was."

"I'm proud of you, Elliot," she tells me.

Those baby blues of hers are looking at me intently and I know what's coming next.

"And the rest of the time," she asks, "When you weren't working?"

"I haven't been with anyone else, Ana," I tell her.

"In all three years," she asks me and I laugh.

"I know it's hard to believe," I tell her. "But yes, I actually kept it in my pants for three years. The last words I said to you before you left for London was 'I love you'. I made a commitment to you. And even though my life got screwed up, I still felt committed to you. I couldn't be with anyone until we were resolved."

"So you spent a lot of time in the gym," she says, checking me out.

"Well a guy has to burn it off somehow," I tell her. "I didn't expect you to not see anyone, Ana. I knew the way I just stopped talking to you, made you think it was over between us. I was actually expecting you to move on as much as it hurt thinking about it, I was prepared for it."

"There was a guy in the program," she tells me. "Giuseppe."

"Giuseppe," I ask her and she giggles.

"Yeah, he was quite handsome and that Italian accent was a panty dropper," she says.

I don't think I want to hear this.

"He barely got to first base, Elliot," she tells him. "It just didn't feel right. I knew something was wrong with you and I needed to hear the words from you before I moved on."

I pull her into my arms and kiss her.

...

We spend all day Sunday reconnecting. We venture out, when the sun comes up to get breakfast at the little donut shop down the block from my apartment.

The rest of the day, we spend lounging around, when I'm not pulling her into the bedroom. I can't seem to get enough of her. She is stunning. She always has been, but now she is more comfortable with herself and with me. She walks around the apartment with nothing but her panties and the sight of those tits keeps me with a constant hard on.

She tells me all about her dream job at SIP that she started last week and I am so excited for her. She tries to make me believe that it's no big deal, her getting that position right out of college, saying that it's because SIP is a small company, but I tell her that's bullshit. She should be very proud of her accomplishments.

...

"Okay," she says. She is standing next to me in the kitchen with her hand over my eyes. "Are you ready?"

She came in here earlier to make us lunch and nearly passed out from the mess and the clutter. Hey, I never claimed to be Harry Homemaker here. I went out and bought us something to eat while she insisted on cleaning and organizing the kitchen. She swears she can find a place for all of my pots and pans in the small space but I have to see it to believe it.

"Ready," I tell her now. She removes her hand and lets me see. "Well I'll be damned. I didn't even know the color of my kitchen counter."

"Does it get your seal of approval," she says.

"Hell yes," I tell her. "I can't believe it's the same kitchen."

"Good, now if you could just maintain it," she scolds.

"Yes dear," I tease her pull her into my arms to kiss her. "Thanks sweet cheeks."

"Sweet cheeks," she laughs.

"Mmhmm,"I say grabbing on to her ass with both hands. "Didn't I tell you? You have the two sweetest ass cheeks I ever put my mouth on."

"Oh man," she says to me. "You give new meaning to the word cheesy."

...

Christian's POV

"Christian," Jen comes into the room without knocking. "The housekeeper keeps making macaroni and cheese and I hate it. I asked her to stop. I open the refrigerator just now and there it is again. I want you to fire her."

"I will not fire her for doing what I asked her to do," I tell her. "I love her Mac and cheese, it's my favorite. She works for me Jen, not you. I won't have you bullying her."

"When we get married she will work for me too," she tells me. "So she may as well get use to me telling her what to do. I am so tired of not being respected by the staff. I am suppose to be most important to you and you treat them better than you treat me."

"Will you please stop with the whining, Jen," I tell her. "We are not married yet. When you become my wife, the staff will treat you accordingly. But Mac and cheese will remain in the fridge."

"Very well," she says leaving. "Aren't you even going to say good bye?"

"Goodbye, Jen," I tell her. She huffs and quickly walks away.

I just bought and moved into the penthouse at Escala in downtown Seattle a few months ago. GEH is doing phenomenal and I decided to treat myself with this little gem of a place. Its big enough to keep me and Jen happy when we get married and she moves in here with me.

Fucking Jen, I can't believe I am about to marry her. I'm doing everything I can to get out of it. I convinced Elliot and my other investors to sell me their shares in GEH and they were more than willing. But Jen's dad is not willing to give up his. He owns too much of my fucking company and I know he is holding on to keep me in line. I have to find away to get him out of my business and to gain total control of GEH, otherwise I will be his bitch for the rest of my life.

I've hired a housekeeper and cook by the name of Gail Jones, because Jen can't cook and clean worth a shit and she has the nerve to complain. Mrs. Jones is a wonderful woman in her mid forties. She's quiet and professional. I think she and I will get along well.

I've also fired that fucking CPO of mine that I thought was fucking Jen, if he was or not I really don't give a shit. Just the way he would look at her pissed me off. How the fuck can he protect me when he's busy eye fucking her. He was probably planning my demise so that he could get into her panties. If she was willing, I would have been more than happy to let her go. Shit that's why I kept his ass around for so long, hoping that they would run off together, but no such luck.

I've replaced him with a guy by the name of Jason Taylor. He is an ex marine and comes highly recommended by Welch, my security advisor. He seems to really know his shit, but time will tell.

...

I readjust myself one more time as I sit at my desk in my home office, working on a damn Sunday. Unfortunately Jen is not the reason I need to keep readjusting my dick. I just can't get the sight of Ana out of my mind. It reminded me of that night I saw her naked in my bed with Kate and Elliot. I couldn't keep my eyes off of her. I had to snatch the covers off of Kate and give them to Ana before I embarrassed myself by getting a huge hard on right in front of my big brother. I would have never heard the end of it. It took a night of fucking Jen in every damn position imaginable that night plus a session in my secret playroom to get myself back under control. I had to stop myself three times from nearly screaming out Ana's name as I came in Jen.

How I long to have Ana underneath me. To feel my cock, balls deep inside of her, to have tied up and begging for me to allow her to cum. I wonder if she's lost her virginity yet. With a body like that, I'm sure someone's gotten into those panties, lucky bastard that he was. Shit, I hope it wasn't that Paul Clayton fucker. What a weak lay he looks like he would have been. No, Mia said they were not even really friends. Get your mind right Grey. Ana is off limits!

But would she be willing to be with me? I know she likes me. She has since she was a little kid. Maybe, If I explain my situation to her. Would she be into BDSM? He'll I'd give that shit up if it meant having her. How can I make this happen?

I smile when her sweet voice comes into my head.

"SIP is all up in arms trying to get an elusive as told to me by Christian Grey published. Whoever your P.R. team is, they do a great job of keeping everyone guessing about you."

I think I just found my way in. Oh, Little Miss Kiddo Steele, you are not going to know what hit you.

...

Elliot's POV

Monday morning, Ana drops me back off at the work site around six a.m.

"I can't believe you have to start work at this ungodly hour," she says getting out of the car to kiss me goodbye. She is wearing my red and white flannel shirt and her black shorts, her eyes are still puffy from sleep and she tried her best to smooth down her bed head and damn she looks hot as hell.

"I'll see you later for lunch," she tells me giving me a kiss goodbye.

She blushes when she hears the cat calls and whistles from the guys already here and secretly watching us.

"Way go El," I hear someone, I'm sure is Tuck, yell out.

"Get your asses back to work," I yell at them pretending to be angry as Ana hides her face on my shoulder. I give her another kiss and open her car door for her to get in.

"Laters baby," I tell her as she pulls away.


	8. Work Day

Haunted By You

Chapter 8

Work Day

Ana's POV

After dropping Elliot off at work, I drive home to my mom's house to get ready for my second week at SIP.

"Who's there," my mother calls out from the kitchen when she hears the front door open and close.

"It's just me mom," I call out to her from the living room.

"Well good morning baby girl. I can't believe you are actually up this early," she says to me, checking the wall clock as I walk into the kitchen. "Is that Elliot's shirt?"

"Can you make me breafast," I ask her, effectively ignoring her question. "I'm hungry."

"Didn't he feed you," she asks me and I nod my head yes.

"Marshmallow cereal and a strawberry pop tart," I tell her. "It was literally the only thing he had in his apartment besides moldy cheese."

She nearly dies from laughter.

"Well, looks like the poor man needs a woman in his life," she tells me. "It seems you came along just in time."

I don't say anything, but secretly I like that idea.

"Mom, we kind of want to keep things between the two of us for now," I tell her. "Grace knows, but we want to wait to tell everybody else."

"I think that's best," she says. "You don't need everyone in your buisness while you are trying to figure things out."

"Exactly," I tell her, happy she understands.

She feeds me an actually breakfast of bacon, toast, and eggs.

"Bob and I broke up," she tells me as I help her load the dishwasher.

"Oh no, mom," I tell her. "What did that jerk do?"

"No, nothing like that," she says. "He's just not ready to make a commitment to anyone yet. Can you believe he still wants to play the field at fifty three? It was okay at first. I wasn't looking to settle down either in the beginning, but now I am. I love him, but I just can't wait around for him to figure it out."

"Well screw him," I tell her, giving her a hug. "He lost a good thing. Mom you are a great woman. You will find a man that's right for you, I know it. Why don't we have a girl's night tonight, just you and me?"

"Absolutely not," she tells me wiping at her tears. "You will not sit home with your mother when I'm sure Elliot is dying to be with you."

"You come first," I tell her.

"You're such a sweet girl," she says kissing my cheek. "But I want you to go have fun. I need to be alone with my thoughts tonight."

"I love you mom," I tell her.

"I love you too, baby girl," she tells me.

I go upstairs to shower and get ready for work.

I look at my phone to see that Sage has just text me.

Sage: Get up Ana! Don't make me sic Laura on you again!

Me: I'm awake! Since 6am.

Sage: 6am! Hell has just frozen over!

Me: Ohhhh very funny! Thanks for the wakeup text. TTYL.

I'm about to put the phone down when Sage's face appears now calling me.

"Hello," I answer her call.

"Why are you trying to get rid of me," she says. "And why are you up since 6am? Is someone with you?"

"What," I say in surprise, "no."

"You are such a bad liar," she tells me. "Who is it?"

"If you must know, I just left Elliot's," I tell her.

"You slut," Sage screams. "I can't believe it. So you guys obviously made up. I'm so happy for you! He better treat you right this time though or I'm coming out there!"

"Bye Sage," I tell her ending her little tirade. "I love you!"

"What, no, Ana you can't just leave me hanging like this, I want details….."

"No details to tell and I'm going to be late for work," I tell her. "I promise we'll talk later."

"Okay, call me back," she says.

…..

I walk into the front door of SIP going over my to-do list in my head. I hate Mondays. It always takes me a minute to get back in the swing of things. Even though it's summer, I have to wear sweaters to work. The air conditioner is always on the fritz making it either too hot or too cold in the building. Right now it's surprising just right, so I take off my black sweater and fold it over my arm as I walk. I better enjoy it while it lasts.

I do love this place, even though it is an old building, it is decorated in a relaxed style of warm browns and blues. The office walls are all glass which I thought I would hate, but it's not so bad now that I'm use to it, especially since there is a cool feature where you can smoke the glass for complete privacy.

As I walk past the receptionist's desk, I wave hello to Angie and Trish who are already busy with ringing phones. You can't help but see them. They both have the same platinum blonde hair. Angie has hers straight with long bangs and Trish has hers cut and curled into a messy bob.

"Good morning, Ana," my assistant, Hannah, greets me and pulls me out of my head as I pass her desk. She is a few years older than me, but she is so bubbly and fun to work with. She is also a blonde with pretty hazel eyes.

"Morning," I greet her, "any messages?"

"Just Boyd Lockhart, again," she says getting up and following me into my office. "He is not happy with the changes you suggested for his autobiography. He says and I quote, 'Sex, drugs, and rock and roll is not a cliché, man, it's a way of life. I'm freaking living it! Why does she want to stifle me Hannah, baby?'"

I roll my eyes. Are all rock stars this melodramatic?

"I'll calm him down," I say, taking the message from her. "Thanks Hannah."

"Do you need anything," she asks me.

"No, I'm good," I tell her. "I'll be going out for lunch around noon today. So don't schedule anything for me until after one."

"Will do," she says and leaves me to my own devices.

…..

I spend the morning looking over manuscripts by potential authors that have made their way to my desk. There is one that has caught my interest, so I sit down to read it more carefully.

Usually I can see my boss, the president of SIP, Jack Hyde, coming a mile away with that flaming long red hair and full beard that for some reason reminds me of Paul Bunyan, but I am so engrossed in what I'm reading, I didn't hear him come into my office.

"Ana," he calls for my attention.

"Mr. Hyde, "I look up at him in surprise. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Must be a good read then," he tells me pointing to the manuscript in my hands.

"So far it's great," I tell him excited. "I'll let you know how it goes."

"Excellent," he says smiling. "And remember, call me Jack."

I take in the man that is my boss, his long red hair is twisted in a high bun on top of his head, his ill fitted faded blue jeans, and white-t shirt with a leather biker vest , and I smile.

"What can I do for you, Jack," I ask him.

"You are not going to believe this," he says coming into my office and sitting down. "I just got a call from the big boss , he says some notable by the name of Andrea….Parker, I believe her name was, wants to do an interview for a story he wants to have published."

"Really," I say. "I've never heard of her."

"Me either," he says. "I guess she's somebody though, if Roach is calling. According to him, she is very interested in SIP and he wants you to interview her."

"Me," I tell him in surprise. "But I don't know anything about interviewing."

"Oh it's easy," he says brushing off my concern and handing me a list of questions. "Just get her to answer these and to elaborate on it if she can."

"Wouldn't it be better if someone with more experience with this sort of thing handle it," I ask him not really wanting to do the interview.

"No, it has to be you," Jack says handing me the address. "Now get going, she is expecting you in an hour, it's a lunch interview thing."

"Okay, great," I tell him grabbing my brief case and phone.

…..

I call Elliot to cancel our lunch plans.

"Hey, Banana," he answers on the second ring.

"I'm going to have to cancel our lunch plans," I tell him.

"Why, what's up," he asks me, disappointed.

"I am on my way to interview some bigwig hotshot," I tell him. "I couldn't get out of it."

"Interview," he says confused. "I thought you were the editor."

"That's what I said, but apparently bigwigs don't give a shit." I tell him and he laughs. "At least I get a free lunch out of the deal."

"Well make sure hands stay in their places," he warns me. "And don't let the jackass give you a hard time,"

"Don't worry, I'll handle her." I assure him.

"Her," he says and I laugh.

"Yeah, her," I tell him.

"Well I guess I can't be too jealous then, as long as it's not Kate," he says.

"No," I tell him not believing he said that. "It's not Kate."

"Can I see you tonight," he asks, "all night?"

"Yes, you sure can," I tell him. "I'll just pack an overnight bag and meet you at your place."

"Great, I'll see then," I can hear the smile in his voice. "Love you."

"Love you," I tell him hanging up.

I blast my AC. I have an older model sedan and it gets hot in here real quick. The only thing I love about it is its color, cherry red.

…..

I pull up outside of the building and double check the address.

This can't be right.

Although I've never been to Christian's office before, I am sure he works here at Grey House. I go ahead anyway thinking I got it all wrong. I walk into the lobby and I am swimming in a sea of business men dressed all in black and beautiful blonde women all in gray dress suits. The tint from the glass walls gives the place a dim misty feeling. It looks almost creepy. I head to the receptionist's desk where two pretty blonde women sit. The younger one, who looks about my age, gives me a visitor's pass and sends me up to the top floor to meet with Andrea Parker.

I hum a tune to pass the time, as I ride the elevator all the way to the top. Finally the doors open and I enter into another smaller lobby. I am once again heading to a receptionist's desk. Two more drop dead gorgeous blondes are there working. I go up to the older one and ask for Andrea Parker.

...

Turns out Ms. Parker is just the bigwig's secretary. She sits me in the waiting area while Mr. Hotshot himself finishes up a meeting he's in. I take the opportunity to look around the lobby.

It must be meant to intimidate because there is no warmth here at all. It's all gray and solid white stone marble. I look over at the two receptionists. Just like the ones on the first floor, they are dressed smart in sleek gray suits with their blonde hair pulled back in tight neat buns. I realize that I have yet to see a brunette here and even though the top of my dress is black, the tan bottom makes me feel as though I am much to colorful. I must stick out like a sore thumb. I'm use to being the only brunette at SIP but it's such a small business compared to this one. Well in all fairness I've only seen too floors. I'm sure more than just blondes work here.

The office door opens and I stand. I tall voluptuous woman with dazzling red hair comes bouncing out proving that I haven't stepped into the twilight zone.

"I'll get right on it boss," she says before walking in my direction. She looks at me and gives me a smile that nearly has me blushing. I swear she is checking me out. I brush it off as my imagination.

"Hi, I'm Ros Bailey, the VP," she says holding out her hand for me to shake.

"Anastasia Steele," I tell her shaking her hand. Something about this woman has me feeling like I need to tell her my whole name. Maybe it's this place and her high position here.

"Are you new here," she asks me.

"Oh no…" I start.

"She's here to interview the boss," Andréa tells her, walking up to join us. The other blonde follows closely behind her.

"Is she,"Ros says to her in surprise. "Well that's rare."

"Usually he passes these types of things on to me," she says turning to me once again. " You know, he's not really in a good mood right now, so maybe I can help you with whatever it is you want to know. Why don't we go to my office and talk a little..."

"Leave her alone, Ros," a familiar voice comes booming from the direction of the office. I look past Ros to see an angry Christian standing in the door way.


	9. Going Blonde

Haunted By You

Chapter 9

Going Blonde

Ana's POV

"Leave her alone, Ros," a familiar voice comes booming from the direction of the office and I look past Ros to see an angry Christian standing in the door way. If I didn't know him, I would run off screaming in the other direction. His secretary and the other blonde do just that when he gives them a look that could kill. I watch as they scurry back to their places behind the desk.

My eyes dart back to Christian and I take him in. He is dressed in a dark gray suit that screams power. His cooper hair, usually a mess on top of his head is combed back and tamed. His eyes are smoldering as they are now locked with mine and I can't help but look away in fear.

"Yeah, he has that affect on most people," Ros says noticing my reaction. She is not fazed by Christian at all.

"Do you value your job here, Ros?" Christian says to her. He rolls his eyes. It's a move I know very well and the illusion is broken, as he becomes my childhood friend again.

"Ana," he calls my name with a warm familiarity, holding out his hand for me to walk toward him. His secretary gives me a look of surprise as I walk past her to go to him.

I walk ahead of him and enter into what I assume is his office. His lobby is just a preview of this room. It's a done in a sterile design of white framed in dark gray. This office doesn't represent the personality of the Christian I know at all. At least it has an amazing view of Seattle. You can see the whole city as his entire back wall is nothing but floor to ceiling windows.

"Have a seat," he says to me gesturing to one of the white plush chairs that sits in front of his large desk. I pull myself together, shaking off his earlier intimidation and sit down. He sits down on the vacant chair beside me.

"I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage," I tell him and he frowns at me. "I wasn't expecting you to be the one I was sent here to speak with."

"Why are you talking to me like that," he says.

"Like what," I ask him.

"Different," he says.

"Because you are different," I tell him. "So different infact, I feel the need to call you Mr. Grey."

"I'm the same guy you saw at my parent's house Saturday," he tells me. "The same guy you've known for half your life."

"It doesn't seem like it," I tell him honestly. "I mean look at this place. You actually own all of this. And look at you. People see you coming and they start running."

"That's not true," he says and I raise an eyebrow. "Okay maybe a little true. But please don't call me Mr. Grey, Ana. I need for you to see me like you always have. I don't want any of this doesn't to affect or relationship."

"Okay," I tell him. " But, Christian, what I said Saturday about SIP wanting to get a story from you. I want you to know, I didn't misuse our friendship in anyway. I would never use you like that. I didn't even know I was coming here to see you…"

"I know Ana," he assures me. "I know you would never use me. I'm the one who called Jerry Roach and offered to do the interview."

"That's good," I say in relief. "But why now?"

"I figured it was time," he tells me. "I had no idea people were so interested in me."

"Are you kidding," I tell him. "Look at you. You are young, handsome, and rich. Of course people want to know more about you, especially women."

"Well, I'm happy to oblige, all women" he tells me with a smirk.

…..

Christian's POV

I spent the most of Monday morning thinking about Ana. Work is piling up on my desk but I can't focus on shit else but having her. I've decided the best way to go about it is to take it slow with her and not show my hand right away. The last thing I want is to frighten her away by springing my feelings on her without warning.

The type of person she is, I know she will never be okay with being with me while I'm with Jen. I need to test the waters first and get to know her again after four years of being apart. I need to find a way to spend time with her. I decided the best way to do that is through SIP.

I had a conversation with the owner, Jerry Roach. Turns out SIP is more than interested in publishing a short story about me. I agreed as long as he sent that very capable Commissioning Editor I met at a party a few days ago, Miss Anastasia Steele, here to work with me. I told him I wouldn't trust anyone else to do the job and of course he agreed. He started singing her praises, but I'm sure from the things he said about her, he had no idea who Ana was.

He left me with a bad feeling. His company is only the size of my second floor and he doesn't know who his employees are. I know everyone who works for me from the janitor to Ros, my VP, but this fucker can't even be bothered to know someone as important as his Commissioning Editor.

I call Ros into my office and I tell her to give me everything she can find on SIP. I have her to go back at least three years. I want to see how Mr. Roach is running the rest of his company. Of course she hits me with a thousand questions about why we are wasting our time with such an insignificant company and ends up pissing me off.

Then to add insult to injury, Ros leaves my office and makes a beeline to Ana when she spots her sitting in my waiting room. I really can't blame Ros, for wanting Ana. She was looking damn good standing there. I had to threaten her employment to get Ros to back off. Not that she is at all intimidated by me. She knows its bullshit. I couldn't see running this place without her.

…..

Now as I sit with Ana in my office, I look over at her, as she sits reading through her questions, waiting for me to finish ordering our lunch.

My God, she is beautiful. She is wearing a black and tan form fitting dress that flatters her figure and shows off every curve. I have to adjust myself when I imagine what it would be like to have her sexy high heeled Mary Janes up around my ears and those perky tits bouncing underneath me as I pump my sperm into her. I want so desperately to leave my mark inside of her and claim her as mine.

"You know," she says pulling me out of my fantasy. "There is really nothing here that we need to talk about."

"What do you mean," I ask her.

"Well I know the answers to all of these questions," she says and she reads. "To what do you owe your success? Tell me about your family? What do you like to do for fun?..."

"What," I ask her when she stops reading and turns red.

"They wanted me to ask you if you're gay," she says and I frown. "Are you telling me that no one knows about you and Jen?"

"I'm a very private person, Ana," I tell her.

"But you've been with Jen since you were sixteen years old," she tells me. "I think if people knew that about you, it would go along away in showing you in a positive light."

"Why do I need to be seen in a positive light,"I ask her.

"Well think about it buisness wise," she says. "I'm sure you deal with alot of stuffy old guys with equally stuffy wives. Let's not include the one who were victims of their mid life crisis and ended up with some twenty year old."

I laugh at how right she.

"These men must look at you with suspecion," she continues. "Knowing that you are faithful and engaged to a woman you've been with since you were a teen would go along way in gaining trust."

"Fair point, well made," I tell her. "You sure you don't want to work for my PR team?"

She shakes her head when she sees I am not moved by her arguement.

"I don't have to include her then," she tells me.

"I would prefer it if you didn't," I tell her, especially since I don't plan to be with Jen that much longer.

"Are you okay with me writing about you being adopted," she asks and I nod my approval.

"Okay good," she says.

"And you still like sailing, fishing, and baseball," she checks.

"Add flying to that," I tell her.

"You can fly," she asks me.

"For three years now," I tell her proudly. "I' m looking into buying a helicopter."

I smirk at her as she whistles and flicks her wrist like she's just been burned.

….

Taylor delivers our food and she laughs when she sees its Mac and Cheese and Bar B Q spare ribs. Every summer since I've known her, we've eaten this at our family cook outs.

"Oh wow," she moans taking in a spoon full of the Mac and Cheese. "This is amazing."

"You should taste the stuff my cook, Mrs. Jones, makes," I tell her excited. "It's like heaven drenched in cheesy sauce."

"Oh, I am so there," she says, then smiles in realization. "Wait you have a cook."

"Yes," I tell her shrugging it off.

"Damn," she says, "Look at you. Well just tell me when. I'll bring Mia along. It will be just like old times."

….

We spend the hour we were supposed to use for interviewing, catching up on the last four years. Unfortunately I don't have much to tell since I've spent the time buried in my work.

"Oh please," she says to me. "You know you love it. Owning a place like this is all you've ever talked about. I am very proud of you, Christian. I love seeing you in your element."

Hearing her say those words to me has got my heart racing and I swear I am pretty close to blushing.

She tells me all about Harvard and London and her best friends who she still talks to almost every day.

"What about a boyfreind," I take the oportunity to ask her. I need to know who my competition is. Not that I actually will let him be competition. I will enjoy burying the fucker.

"Um," she says as she takes a sip of her rootbeer to stall. "I am seeing someone that I care about very much."

"What's his name," I ask her. "Do I know him."

"We are not ready to go public yet," she tells me and I frown. "You are not the only one who likes to keep things private."

"It's not that Paul Clayton guy is it," I ask her.

"No," she laughs. "It's not Paul."

Well thank fuck for that. I don't think I could stomach that prick touching on her. It's bad enough I have to think about her with someone at all. 

"What," I ask her when she laughs at me again.

"I missed this side of you," she says. "The overprotective father."

"Ouch," I feign insult. "You wound me. I'm only three years older than you, you know?"

"I'm sorry," she laughs. " I didn't mean it that way."

"Yeah sure," I tease her.

So engrossed in our conversation, I didn't even realize that two hours had already past until Andrea buzzed in reminding me of my two thirty appointment. I am about to tell her to cancel it when Ana gets up to leave.

"I really have to get back to work," she says to my disappointment. I can't remember the last time I've had so much fun talking to someone. I feel so at ease with her.

"Do you like working at SIP, Ana," I ask her.

"I love it," she says and her eyes light up taking my breath away. "I couldn't see myself working anywhere else."

"Well I'm glad you're happy," I tell her.

"I'll send you a copy of what I write so you can approve it before it goes to press," she assures me and I nod.

"I'm looking forward to reading it," I tell her and I help her gather her things. "I'll walk you out."

I want to spend as much time with her as I can.

"No way," she says to me. "You have a reputation to uphold. What would they say if The Christian Grey was seen walking a nobody like me out of his building?"

"Don't talk like that, Ana," I tell her angrily. "You are beyond important to me and I would be happy for anyone to see me with you."

"Aw," she says teasing me. "Can I write about how sweet you are?"

"No," I tell her seriously. She laughs as she waves good bye.

"Call me about coming to visit you at your new place," she tells me.

"I will," I tell her. As soon as I can figure out how to get her there without Jen or Mia.

She runs into Taylor at the elevator and I ask him to see her safely to her car.

Ros emails me her findings on SIP and just as I suspected, fucking Roach has let his company go to shit. It only has about two more years before it goes under. I email Ros and give her the go ahead to inquire about buying it.

…

Ana's POV

After work I go home, pack a bag and head to Elliot's without even bothering to change. I check in with my mom before I go and she tells me that there is a get together at the Grey's that Grace is insisting she attend. Leave it to Grace to get my mom going out again. I'm relieved that she is not sitting at home alone tonight.

Elliot opens the door for me. Without saying a word, he takes my bag and takes me into his arms.

"I missed you today," I tell him.

"I missed you more," he tells me kissing me. "Damn you look hot, Banana."

"Why thank you," I tell him.

"So, how did it go," he asks me as he sits on the couch and pulls me down next to him.

"I interviewed Christian," I tell him. "Well not really interviewed. We just ended up catching up."

"Christian was the Bigwig girl," he says and I laugh.

"No, Jack, my boss got the information all wrong," I tell him.

"Well, that's good," he tells me. "At least he didn't give you a hard time. Or did he?"

"Not at all," I assure him. "It was good catching up with him. I'm really excited about the story."

"But," Elliot says, knowing me too well.

"Nothing really," I tell him, "He seems happy with his work. But.."

"But, what," he asks me.

"Well, one of the questions I was suppose to ask him was about his sexual preference..."

"Get the fuck out," Elliot breaks out into full blown laughter. "They actually think Christian is gay?"

"Elliot," I yell at him as I punch his upper arm. "Can I continue please?"

"I'm sorry," he says wiping his tears. "Go on, go on, I'm listening."

"As I was saying," I roll my eyes at him as he continues to chuckle. "what's going on with him and Jen? He hasn't even gone public with her yet after all these years and they are engaged. He doesn't even want me to include her in what I write."

"I really don't know, Banana," he tells me, getting serious. "I try to talk to him about her, but he's not very forthcoming with the information. He pretends everything is going great. But I know it's all bullshit. I don't even think he loves her."

"Then why is he with her," I ask him and he shrugs.

"Who knows why my baby brother does anything," he tells me. "Maybe he does love her. Or, maybe he feels obligated to her for how she helped him with GEH. Whatever it is, I hope he figures it out before he actually marries her."

"We should spend more time with him, El," I tell him. "He needs his big brother and his friends. He seems really lonely."

"Lonely," he asks me in surprise. "The man has more money than God, he can pay people to entertain him."

"That's my point," I tell him. "Can you imagine how lonely it must be to only have people around because you pay them."

"Is this your way of telling me you want to spend time with Christian, Ana," he asks me.

"No, this is me telling you that your brother is lonely and he needs his friends," I tell him. "I happen to be his friend, but if it makes you uncomfortable, then I won't see him. I know you thought I had feelings for him, I hope you know I don't."

"I do know," he tells me. "I know you love me. I hate being fucking jealous of my own brother."

"Christian is not interested in me Elliot and I sure as hell am not intersted in him," I tell him. "You have nothing to be jealous about. You are young and handsome and sexy and successfull and you have a woman that loves you more than anything else in the world."

"Okay, but keep in mind that if we spend all our time with him," He tells me. "Then that would leave less time to spend with eachother."

"Well in that case, never mind," I tease and he laughs at me.

"Guess what I did," he says.

"What," I ask him.

"I went shopping," he tells me. "I actually got some edible food to put in the fridge."

"Really," I say surprised. "So in the morning, I can actually have something besides sugar?"

"I'll have you know pop tarts are a nutritious breakfast," he says trying to convince me. "You have your fruits and your grains all in one."

"Uh huh," I say to him.

"So," he says kissing me. "I'm sexy huh?"

"Mhmm," I moan out, enjoying his mouth on mine.

"Well, are you hungry right now," he asks, kissing my neck.

"Not for food," I tell him.

"My naughty Banana, I was hoping you'd say that," he tells me as he pulls me up off of the couch and leads me into his bedroom.

We frantically undress each other.

"Leave them on," he whispers to me as I'm about to take off my heels. "Those are sexy as hell, baby."

He carefully pulls my dress down my legs and I step out of it.

"Damn you are so hot," he whispers to me as I stand before him in nothing but my black high heeled Maryjanes on.

I crook my index finger, silently calling for him to come to me and he doesn't hesitate to move into my arms.

"Mmmm, you feel good," I tell him. "I love the feel of your bare skin next to mine."

He lifts me up bridal style and carries me over to his bed and spends the next hour showing me how much he missed me today.

….

I stand naked in Elliot's bathroom, studying myself in his vanity mirror and not really liking what I see. I think all those bombshell blondes I saw today are chipping away at me.

"Maybe I should dye my hair blonde," I tell Elliot as I stand with my back to him. I can still see him in the mirror. He is getting the shower just right for me because he's afraid I might burn myself with the sensitive hot water handle.

"Why blonde," he asks me.

"Well, all the girls at SIP are blonde," I tell him. "GEH is filled with blondes. And you've dated a lot of blondes before me. I think I am the only brunette you've ever been with, so obviously you prefer blondes."

"Banana," he starts.

"I don't mind going blonde for your, Elliot," I tell him honestly, remembering all of the beautiful blondes he use to date. Maybe he would find me more attractive if I was a blonde.

"Listen to me," he starts, walking up behind me and looking in my eyes reflected in the mirror.

He takes his fingers and combs them through my hair. My eyes flutter closed from the feel of it.

"I love your hair," he tells me kissing the side of my head. "But I would love it just as much if it were blonde, or red, or gray, or purple."

He turns me around to face him. I lean my head back as he kisses my neck then moves down to suckle each of my nipples.

"I love your breast," he says. "But I would love them if they were an A cup or B cup or D cup.

I am so wet with need for him. He gets on his knees and kisses my belly.

"I love your body," he says running his tongue along my belly button. "But I would love it just as much if it were a size zero, or a size two or twelve."

Oh my god this feels so good.

He lifts my right leg and rests it on his shoulder, holding my ass with his left hand to keep me steady.

"But whatever you do," he says placing his right hand over my heart. "Please don't change the way you use this. Your heart is the best part of you Ana and its all mine."

He flicks my clit with his tongue once and I cum instantly.

"Oh god Elliot," I moan out as I cum hard. How did he just do that? 

"I need you inside me," I tell him, pulling him up off of his knees. He hoist me up and sits me on the bathroom sink.

"Ana, fuck, you feel so good," he moans as he thrust himself into me. I wrap my legs around his waist and pull him forward causing him to go deeper inside of me.

"Oh yes, Elliot," I moan out, racking my nails down his back as I cum hard again.

"Ana," he screams out. His whole body shakes as he empties himself inside me.

I grab hold of his hand that's still over my heart and kiss it's palm. "My heart is yours Elliot. I promise I won't ever change the way I love you, except only if it's possible to love you more." I tell him.


	10. Couple's Night

Haunted By You

Chapter 10

Couple's Night

Elliot's POV

Ana and I opt for a long hot bath together instead of her shower. She is nestled between my legs leaning her back against my front and my mouth is resting on the side of her head. Her red nail polished big toe is tracing the line of the water spout and my right foot is playfully following along.

"This feels so good," she sighs.

"For me too," I tell her. "I don't usually bathe."

"So that's what I've been smelling," she says and I gently tickle her to make her squirm, but she moves too much and the water goes sloshing over the edge of the tub.

"You know what I mean," I tell her as we settle back down.

"You mean you never did this with any of your many girlfriends," she asks me.

"I wouldn't call them girlfriends, Banana," I tell her. "I've only had one before you."

"Right," she tells me. "Gia…something or other."

"Gia Mateo," I laugh at her, knowing damn well she remembers her. As much grief as she and Mia gave her when I brought her home from college. "And we never really got around to the cuddly and soaking in tub phase of our relationship. I move on pretty quick."

"Is that your way of warning me about a fear of commitment you have, Elliot," She asks me.

I sit up and turn her around to face me.

"This is my way of telling you that I love you. That I love being with you. I love doing things with you that I've never wanted to do with all those other girls. Come on, I went grocery shopping for you!"

She laughs.

"I am one hundred percent committed to you, Ana," I assure her, "With absolutely no doubts or fears."

She smiles and nods at me.

"Come on," I tell her pressing my lips to her forehead. "Let's get out of here before we get too wrinkly."

We dry each other off and she walks ahead of me into the bedroom. I love watching her ass as she walks. It's gotten me hard all over again.

She yelps in surprise when I pick her up and toss her face up on the bed.

"Mmmm, I love the way you taste," I moan out as I play with her clit with the tip of my tongue. She is the perfect mixture of a little salty and a little sweet. I slip a finger in her and she inhales deeply and bucks her hips.

"Mmmmm, that's right," I whisper as I watch her. "You like that, baby?"

"Yes," she moans to me. I fuck her with my finger, moving it in and out of her quickly. I feel her pussy spasm and I know she's close. I close my mouth around her clit and suck it as she cums in my mouth and drowns my finger.

I quickly move up her body and bury my dick deep inside of her.

"Oh fuck," she yells out causing me to grin. I lift her legs and she wraps them around my waist, pushing my ass with the soles of her to get me deeper into her.

"Oh shit, Ana," I moan out as she squeezes my dick with her orgasm causing me to cum.

I rise up on my hands and stare down at her as we both try to catch our breath. Her pussy is still spasming, causing my dick to sputter cum every time she squeezes it.

"Damn," I say moving off of her. I stare up at the ceiling with a big grin on my face.

"What," she says turning so that she is now laying her head on my chest.

"Who would have thought when I was a horny teenager that I would be making love to the little girl I had to babysit," I tell her.

"Okay, first of all I was twelve. You were hanging out with me, not babysitting," she corrects me.

"Oh okay, if you say so," I tell her.

"And anyway, I thought you had the cooties, so there." she says and I laugh.

"Are you still thinking about dying your hair," I ask her as I play in it with my fingers.

"Nope," she says. "I guess I'm kind of attached to it."

"That's good," I tell her. "I'm kind of attached to it too."

…..

"Are you sure you don't want to go out to eat," I tell her, watching her gather things she'll need to cook us dinner. She is looking so tempting in one of my button down white shirts and nothing else.

"No way," she tells me. There is a lot of good food in here just dying to be cooked. You did good with the shopping, EGy."

"Oh, no you don't," I say to her as I catch her and lift her up on the counter. I come up to tickle her but she manages to squirm away from me.

She and Mia came up with that god awful nick name for me when they were playing some stupid name game using our initials. Mia was MiGy, Christian was ChriGy, and I was EGy, as in too much egg. Of course the game came to a screeching halt when I pointed out that Ana would have to be called ARSe.

Now, ARSe is sitting her gorgeous ass on the counter watching me chop up the green bell peppers for the spaghetti we're making.

"You really know how to handle your pointy utensils," she says looking at my dick that is covered with a pair of red boxer briefs. She smiles at me when it begins to rise.

"Oh yes indeed," I tell her, putting down the knife and walking between her legs. "I'm real good with pointy things."

"If we keep this up," she says, tilting her head to the side to give my mouth better access. "We are going to starve to death."

"And what a way to go," I tell her.

…..

Christian' POV

I am close to my breaking point as I make my way up to my penthouse. Every part of my body has been itching to be scratched since Ana left my office this afternoon. I jacked off twice, moaning her name as I came all over the chair she had been sitting in. It did little to ebb my need to release. My dick is painfully swollen and in need of relief.

I had no choice but to call Jen. I need her in the playroom tonight. She refused me in the beginning. It took a damn hour of me sweet talking her until she finally agreed. I had to promise her it would be quick. She may not turn me on as much as Ana does, but damn, she sure can take a punishment fuck, which is exactly what I need righ now.

I head straight to the playroom. I don't even bother to shower or change.

I enter to see Jen on her knees in the perfect position.

"Come to me," I demand and she obeys.

"On your knees, open your mouth," I command her as I undo my pants, I don't want to do a scene tonight, I just want to get off.

Without a word she kneels down in front of me. She takes me in her mouth and sucks me off. "Mmmmmm, You like that, huh? You like the feel of my dick in your mouth, don't you?"

"Yes, Sir," she says as I take my dick out of her mouth and stroke it, rubbing her warm saliva all over it.

"Oh yeah, fuck," I moan out as I shove myself back in and she sucks me again. "Make me cum, Jen. So I can spank that ass of yours and fuck you."

I feel myself about to explode so I grab the back of her head to hold her steady as I cum violently in her mouth.

"Swallow," I demand of her. I hold her head firmly in place as she struggles to move away. "Swallow it!"

Her eyes go wide as she nearly chokes on my load. When she has swallowed it all down I let go of her head. She falls on to her side and gasps for air. I wait impatiently until she catches her breath. I have her stand and lean over the bed with her ass in the air so that I can spank her.

I hit her ten times with my belt, as she cries out with each hit, counting just the way I like it. I leave her to go and retrieve the KY jelly from the chest of drawers.

"I'm going to fuck you now," I tell her as I squirt the jelly on her dry pussy and slide my dick in. She bears down and takes it without complaint when I ram into her deep hard and fast.

"Oh fuck," I yell out as I cum deep inside of her. I take my now flaccid dick out of her and slap it on her bright pink ass that I know is sore from my spanking. Droplets of my milky white cum are now sprinkled all over her back side.

I tell her to stay still as I get the arnica cream and rub it gently over her ass to soothe her pain.

"Do you want to cum," I ask her, allowing her to get up.

"No," she says slipping on her robe, "maybe later, in the bedroom. Are you done?"

I nod my head giving her permission to leave.

"Mom and dad are expecting us for dinner in an hour," she reminds me.

"I didn't forget," I tell her. "Why don't you go and get ready."

"Okay," She says and hesitates. I nod my head and she walks over and quickly kisses me before she exits the room, leaving me feeling like complete shit because I know she didn't enjoy that.

What the fuck am I doing?

…..

Carla's POV

I knew going out tonight was a bad idea. I think to myself as I pull up in my drive way. I should have followed my first mind and stayed in with my feelings tonight. I am still reeling from my break up with Bob and now I've gone and done the worst thing I could have ever done. 

I see his car pull up behind me and he steps out.

Shit! Why did he have to come here?

"Carla, will you wait a moment, please," he says following closely behind me as I rush to my front door.

"Look that was a mistake," I tell him, as we reach my front porch and I fish for my house key somewhere in my clutch purse. "You shouldn't have even followed me home."

"I wanted to make sure you were alright," he tells me.

"No," I tell him. "I'm not alright!"

I finally find my keys and I quickly open the door.

"Goodbye," I tell him closing the door, but he holds it open with his hand.

"We have to talk about what happened," he tells me.

"Nothing happened," I tell him. "It was a stupid kiss, it meant nothing."

"Then why are you so upset," he asks me.

"Why aren't you," I ask him.

"To be honest," he says. "I've wanted to kiss you for a long time and I know you've wanted to kiss me."

"Don't," I tell him as he opens the door just wide enough to step through.

"I want you Carla May Steele," he says to me. I try to walk away but he grabs me and pulls me into him. My back hits hard against his firm chest. "But I will leave if that's what you truly want."

"Please don't….." I begin, but then he holds me close to him, sweeps my hair to one side and kisses my neck. I am lost in the feel of his lips on my skin.

He releases me and starts to walk way.

"Please don't' go," I finish telling him what I wanted to say. He pulls me into his arms and kisses me like I have never been kissed before in my life and I know that even though he belongs to my best friend, I am now his.

…..

Elliot's POV

I watch Ana sleeping peacefully beside me and I can't stop myself from smiling at her, but I frown when I see her necklace still around her neck. I'm afraid the cord might choke her as she sleeps, so I reach over and carefully pull it over her head. She stirs a little but quickly falls back to sleep. I refrain from pulling her closer to me for fear I may wake her again.

I take the necklace I gave her four years ago and put it on the bedside table. What a lucky bastard I am that she forgave me for being such a dick to her. I truly thought she would be better off without me in her life. I don't know what I was thinking. I know for damn sure I won't make that mistake again. I will do whatever I have to do to keep Grey Construction relevant and give her all the things she deserves in life. I haven't told anyone yet but I just put in a bid to restore and reinforce the historic landmark building The Seattle Concert Hall. Not only will Grey Construction gain fame but it stands to gain a three million dollar profit. It will be a good start to the life I have planned for us.

When we started this that night I made love to her for the first time, I never thought it would lead to anything more. I was prepared to let her go the morning she woke up. I was terrified that in the light of day she would regret giving her virginity to me, but that was far from the case.

She was shy and embarrassed, but in no way did she regret it. I asked her to stay with me and she agreed. It was the best week of my life having her in my bed with me night after night, even though I was still convinced that she was in love with Christian.

Fucking Christian

What Ana said about him just crept back into my head. I hate the thought of my baby brother being lonely. I know he is not happy with his life right now. He always thought that money would make him happy. That's all he ever talked about, being rich and powerful. I think because he saw that in dad, he thought that's what made him happy. The dumb fuck missed the fact that it was his love for mom and his family that made him happy, not his damn money and power.

I look over at the time and see that it's a little after eleven. I chance calling him, knowing that he rarely gets in bed before two a.m. anyway.

"Grey," he answers on the third ring.

"Seriously bro," I whisper in answer to him rolling my eyes.

"Sorry," he says. "I didn't check who it was. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," I whisper. "I was just calling to see if…."

"Why are you whispering," he asks. "Are you with someone?"

"Yeah, my girlfriend's with me, and she's sleeping," I whisper. "What are you doing tomorrow night?"

"Nothing, why," he whispers.

"Why the fuck are you whispering now," I ask him.

"I don't know," he says going back to his normal tone.

"I was just thinking that maybe we could do something," I tell him.

"You mean hang out," he asks.

"Yeah, hang out," I tell him. "What do you say?"

"Okay," he tells me. "There's this club I'm thinking about buying, you can check it out with me."  
"Okay cool," I tell him. "Laters, bro."

"Awww," Ana says after I hang up with Christian. "I knew you wouldn't leave him hanging."

"I thought you were sleeping," I tell her, embarrassed that she caught me.

"I was, but I woke up because I'm horny," she says.

"Jesus," I laugh at her. "I've created a monster."

"Oh, shut up and fuck me," she says.

….

I wake up before my alarm goes off so it won't disturb Ana. I leave her sleeping while I take a quick shower and dress for work.

"Mmmmm," she says as I kiss her goodbye. "Did you eat breakfast?"

"I'll grab something on the way," I tell her. "Are we still on for lunch?"

"Yeah," she tells me. "Have a good day, dear."

"Don't over sleep," I scold her.

"I won't" she sighs and drifts off to sleep again. I shake my head and reach over to reset the alarm for her because I know she's going to oversleep.

….

Jen's POV

Christian left early this morning to run with Taylor. He didn't even come back home to shower and change before work. He muddled through dinner with my parents last night. Mom and Dad didn't notice, but I have been with Christian Grey since I was fifteen years old, I know when he is just going through motions and he's been going through motions for years now.

He fucked me in his bed last night until I had an amazing orgasm. It took me forever to climax because there was no love in his touch. I knew it was just a pity fuck to make up for the playroom. He knows I don't like going in there, but I do it when he really needs me to.

He was rough in the playroom last night. Usually he takes a bit more care with me, at least making sure I enjoy myself a little, but last night it was like he just wanted to use my body to get off on. I wonder who got him going because it sure as hell wasn't me. I shake it off not wanting to think about it. I know he would never cheat on me. I know he loves me. He just forgets how to show me.

I get out of his bed and head to the kitchen.

"Good morning, Ms. Carlyle," Mrs. Jones greets me dryly. "What would you like for breakfast this morning?"

"I'm not really that hungry," I tell her. "Maybe just some toast."

"Very well, Ma'am," she says to me.

"Did you see the revised shopping list I left for you last night," I ask her. "I just added a few things."

"Yes, Ma'am," she says. "As soon as Mr. Grey approves it, I will be happy to get everything for you."

"He doesn't have to approve it," I tell her. "It's just rye bread, yogurt and nutella. I'm his fiancé for Christ sake. He won't mind getting me bread!"

"I still have to run it by him first, Ms. Carlyle," she says to me.

"Fine, you do that," I tell her. "And I will be speaking to him myself about this."

Leaving her toast where she placed it. I get up and head off to get dressed. God I hate that cold bitch. She is just as much of a control freak as Christian is.

...

Ana's POV

I jump up out of a deep sleep startled by Elliot's alarm. I'm glad he set it, otherwise I would still be sleeping.

I hop out of bed and head for the shower. I am half way to the bathroom when I notice that my necklace is no longer around my neck. I know I didn't take it off last night. I go back into the bedroom to find it. I check the bed, making sure it didn't fall off. Panic sets in as I begin to look around for it. I'm relieved to find it on Elliot's side of the bed sitting on top of his night stand.

I smile at the memory of him last night, but then I gasp when something he told Christian comes to mind. He called me his girlfriend.

The thought leaves my head as I hear my phone ring.

"I'm up," I tell Laura answering her call.

"You sound chipper," she tells me. "How long have you been up, because its ten o'clock here and I still sound like I smoke three packs a day?"

"I've been up for a little while now," I tell her.

"Oh yeah, and how is Elliot," she asks me.

"I'm going to kill Sage," I tell her. "She knows I want to keep it private."

"Who the hell am I going to tell on the other side of the damn country," she says. "Speaking of which, we are still going to New York next month to visit Sage right?"

"That's the plan," I tell her, "If I can get the time off."

"Well there are gazillion conventions there," she tells me. "Just convince your boss to let you represent SIP. Hell, they may even pay for your trip. And bring Elliot, we are dying to meet him."

…

I spend the morning working on my story about Christian. I email him letting him know that I should be finished with it by the end of the day and first thing tomorrow , I will send it to him for approval.

Before I know it, it's time to meet Elliot at the Café down the block. I am happy that he is working close to SIP.

"Hey Banana baby," Elliot calls to me as he stands from the table to give me a kiss and help me sit down.

The waitress comes over and gives us our food. I asked Elliot to order me the BLT with a baked potato and he has ordered himself the same, but with fries.

"Hey," he says as I snatch one of his fries and dredge it through his ketchup.

"Elliot, can I ask you something," I say to him.

"Of course you can," he says.

"Last night, when you were on the phone with Christian," I begin. "I heard you call me your girlfriend."

He holds his fry in mid dip and looks at me in surprise.

"I didn't realize I said that," he tells me.

"Oh, forget it then," I quickly say. "I was just wondering. I know it's silly to be thinking about that this early anyway…."

"I want you to be my girlfriend," he interrupts me.

"You do," I ask him.

"Yes, I do," he tells me taking my hand. "Ana, will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?"

"Okay," I whisper. He smiles and kisses my hand, mouthing the words I love you.

We decide that since he has plans to be with Christian tonight, I am going to stay home and spend time with my mom or maybe call Mia.

"I'll call you later," he tells me as he opens my car door to let me in.

"Okay, have fun with Christian tonight," I tell him. "Laters EGy."

"Laters ARSe," he call to me and I laugh as I pull away.


	11. The Grey Brothers

Haunted By You

Chapter 11

The Grey Brothers

Elliot's POV

Christian told me to meet him downtown at the Mile High Club. The line is a bit long. Good thing he left my name at the door, so I had no problem getting in. I see him sitting alone in a corner booth, so I make my way over to him, passing up blonde after blonde as they try to get my attention. Oh if you had known me four years ago ladies. But now my baby has ruined me for you.

"Hey, baby bro," I greet him as I slide in the booth opposite him. "So this is the place huh?"

"It is," he tells me, taking a swig of his whiskey. "What do you think of it?"

I take a moment to look around. It has a dated seventies disco feel to it and not in a good way. I keep waiting for John Travolta to come strutting by in his white polyester suit.

"Honestly bro, it looks like something out of Saturday Night Fever," I tell him and he laughs.

"I thought the same thing," he says. "And the VIP section on the top floor is worse. So maybe you can bring it all up to standard."

"What," I say in surprise. "You want me to redo it."

"I do," he says to me. "I don't know much about clubs and I know you are basically the manwhore of them, so maybe Grey Construction could give this place an upgrade."

"Leave it to you, little brother, to figure out a way to piss me off and make me happy all in one breath," I tell him.

"It's a gift," he smirks at me. "We'll work out the details later. Right now let's enjoy ourselves."

"I'm so with you," I tell him as we make our way to the bar. I am accosted by a wave of blonde hair half way there.

"Elliot, hi," she says hugging me.

"Kate," I say in surprise. "How are you?"

"I'm good, I can't believe you're here," she says. "Are you with Ana?"

Christian frowns and I roll my eyes as we watch Kate scour the crowd for Ana. She has had a hard on for my girl for four damn years. Well hey, I really can't blame her.

"No," I tell her. "I'm here with Christian. You remember him right?"

"Right," she says, "Hi, Christian."

"Kate," he says.

"Come to the bar with us," I tell her. I know once I get some drinks in him, by bother will loosen up.

Two hours and a few drinks later, the three of us are feeling real good.

"Let's dance," Kate says pulling Christian and I away from the bar. We find a spot on the dance floor. Kate is between Christian and I but we are all moving together. When the two of them start getting a bit too touchy feely for my comfort, I excuse myself and head off to the John.

I take my phone out and call Ana.

"Hey, banana," I say after she picks up on the second ring.

….

Ana's POV

"Elliot," I call his name. "I can barely hear you with that music playing."

"I know sorry about that, baby," he says. Then suddenly the music dies down.

"Where are you," I ask him.

"We are at the Mile High Club," he tells me.

"Is that really the best place to bond," I ask him, not really liking the idea of him out clubbing without me.

"Well right now he is bonding with Kate on the dance floor," he tells me.

"Kate is with you," I ask him.

"We ran into her here," he explains "I don't know if it's the tequila or what because Christian is all hands and Kate is loving every minute of it."

"I thought you said she was a lesbian," I ask him.

"Yeah that's what she told me," I laugh because I can actually picture him standing there, with that clueless look he gets sometimes.

"Well you have to go stop him from doing that," I tell him.

"Hell no," he tells me. "He finally got that stick out of his ass. Kate will show him a good time."

"What if someone takes pictures of the two of them," I ask him.

"So, what if they do," he counters.

"Elliot, he's engaged to Jen," I remind him.

"Shit, I keep forgetting about her. I'm on it," he says, "As soon as I let this whiz out."

"Oh wow," I say to him. "So I'm the one you call when you're in the bathroom?"

"That's right, baby," he says. I can hear his smile.

"Well it must be love," I tell him.

"Nothing but," he says. "Alright, I'm done. I'll talk to you later, baby."

"Wait, wash your hands," I scold him.

"Oh yeah, right," he says.

"Oh my God," I say exasperated, hanging up on him.

….

"Was that Elliot," mom asks.

"Yup," I tell her shoveling a hand full of popcorn in my mouth.

We decided to have movie night in bed. She has a larger T.V in her room, but her bed is way too hard for me, so we are in my room instead.

"You two doing okay," she asks as I climb into my bed with her and put the popcorn between us.

"Great, why," I ask her.

"Well, you're here with me instead of him," she says.

"The Grey brothers needed to spend some time together," I tell her. "Besides, I'm not just going to forget about you."

"Even when you leave me," she asks.

"Mom," I whine. "I'm just moving out. It's not like I'm going off to war. Jeez stop with the guilt trip."

"Well, whatever it takes to spend time with my daughter, "she says to me.

"Aw, were you lonely without me here last night," I ask her.

"No," she says quickly. "I mean, I just conked out right after I came home from Grace's party."

"Did you meet any cute guys there," I ask her. She shakes her head and focuses on the movie. "You'll find the right guy soon mom."

"I hope so babygirl," she tells me sadly.

We snuggle up to watch the movie together.

…

Carla's POV

I look over at Ana sound asleep. It never fails, just put in a movie and in twenty minutes she's out like a light, even when she was a hyper little five year old. Movies worked like magic. We picked the move Steel Magnolias because it is one of my favorites and Ana loves it too. It was the first time she had ever heard of red velvet cake. I surprised her the next day and made her one. It has been her favorite ever since.

I try to focus on watching the movie, but my mind keeps drifting back to last night.

"Carrick, we can't do this," I told him as he pulled me into my bedroom. "It's so wrong."

"I want you," he told me. "I've always wanted you. I tried not to, but I can't fight it anymore. I've stood by for so long, watching you waste your love on that bastard who didn't deserve you."

"But Grace loves you," I remind him. "What about her love?"

He shakes the thought of her out of his head and takes my head in his hands to kiss me.

I've known Carrick Grey for eleven years. His wife Grace introduced me to him. She was Ana's doctor when her appendix ruptured. I almost lost my little girl, but Grace saved her.

I went to work for the Greys soon after Ana left the hospital. I had lost my waitressing job. Ana and I were already living pay check to paycheck. When I lost my job, we were in danger of being homeless. Thankfully Grace took pity on me and gave me a job as her housekeeper and later her personal chief when I finished culinary school.

I can't tell you when I first started having feelings for Carrick. He was much older than I was. When I first met him, I was twenty seven and he was forty one. He and Grace were so much in love and they seemed to have it all.

I've never seen parents so involved with their kids. They both volunteered at their kid's school because they believed education was extremely important. So much so that they even allowed me to use their address to put Ana in Mia's school, since the school district we were in fell far below standard.

When Ana became best friends with Mia, that's when the lines between our two families started to blur. We all became close. I still worked for them, but Grace and I had definitely broken through the ranks and became friends. In fact, I consider her one of my best friends.

Grace started spending a lot of time away from home. She would get called in to work a lot. As a doctor, she had responsibilities that she couldn't ignore. But that would leave Carrick at home alone a lot, especially when the kids got up in age and didn't really want to hang out with their dad anymore.

I would cook and serve him his meals in the dining room while I would have my meals in the kitchen. When he noticed, he asked me to just sit with him, saying there was no point for the both of us to eat alone.

We would talk about everything and anything. He would tell me all he could about the cases he was working on and I would get excited about some new class I was thinking about taking. We would always talk about the kids. Then I noticed him looking at me differently and I would have to stop myself from looking back. He would get uncomfortable when he, Grace, and I were in the same room together and even more so when I would bring a date over to the house.

He was not at all happy when I got serious about Bob, I knew he didn't like him, but I couldn't figure out why. It never crossed my mind that it was jealousy, until he told me last felt so right making love to him. No one has ever made me feel as loved and adored, as he made me feel.

But when the morning sun shined its light on us, I was hit with overwhelming guilt. My betrayal was absolute. Not only did I betray my best friend. I betrayed the woman who saved my child's life. The woman who's eldest son is now head over heels in love with my daughter.

"I want to see you again," Carrick asked me, after he showerd and got dressed.

"No" I told him. "This can't happen again."

"Carla, please," he begged. "Don't pull away from me. Give me a chance to work this out."

"There is nothing to work out," I told him. "You have a wife and kids who love you. My daughter loves you and Grace so much. My God if she ever found out, she would never forgive me for this."

"No one has to find out," he told me.

"I won't be your dirty little secret," I sneered at him. "Carrick, please go."

"This isn't over Carla," he told me, taking my face in his hands. "I love you and I am not going to lose you, not now, not after I finally have you."

"You don't have me," I told him, grabbing on to his hand and showing him his wedding ring. "You have your wife and my best friend, who we just betrayed."

"Carla, please," he begged me.

"Carrick, just go," I told him. "Ana could come home any minute. Please, just go."

He left reluctantly with the promise to not give up on us. Us there is no us. There is him and his wife and me all alone. I can never let anything like that happen again.

...

Elliot's POV

I make my way back to the dance floor. I look around for Kate and Christian but they are nowhere to be found. Then I spot Kate at the bar alone. She points me in the direction she saw Christian go off in and I go in search of him.

I am shocked to find him in a dark corner making out with some sluty blonde. They are both exposed, him with his pants down around his ass and her with a short tight dress hiked up around her waist. I believe if I don't put a stop to them they will be fucking for the world to see.

"Christian, what hell man," I tell him.

He turns and looks at me annoyed. He pulls up his pants and the slut straightens her dress, smirks at me, and walks away.

"What the hell was that," I ask him when we get back to our booth and sit down. "What if that ends up in the tabloids tomorrow? How the fuck are you going to explain that to your fiancé? You call me the manwhore?"

"Fuck off, Elliot," he tells me, angry now.

"What is up with you, bro," I ask him sincerely. "Whatever it is, you can talk to me."

"I'm just fucked up, Elliot," he says taking a shot of tequila. "Everything is fucked up."

"How can you say that," I ask him. "You have money, family, and a girl that loves you."

"Fuck that shit," he says taking another shot. "Fuck the money and fuck Jen. Damnit!"

"Calm down Christian," I tell him. "Will you please tell me what the fuck is up with you and Jen?"

"Same shit that was up the moment I agreed to use her to get to her father," he says downing another shot. "Nothing."

"You don't care about her at all," I ask him. I knew something was off, but damn to use her like that is cold.

"I do, El," he tells me. "When we first started dating, I thought I loved her, you know. She was my first girlfriend. But we were kids. When I grew up, my feelings changed and I wanted to break things off with her, and I did."

"You broke up with her when," I ask him, because this is all news to me.

"The night Mia and Ana went off to college," he starts. "You had left me to talk to Ana and it was only a minute after you, Ana left. Jen saw her coming out of the boathouse, assumed the worst and she let me have it. I was so sick of her shit and I broke up with her. She and I were just going through the motion anyway by that point. The next day, her father called me into his office and offered to give me the rest of what I needed to start GEH, but there was one stipulation…."

"You had to get back with Jen," I finish and he nods in confirmation.

"Jesus man," I shake my head. "Okay, okay, so now you have GEH and more money than you can shake a stick at, so why did you ask her to marry you? Why not just show her the door?"

"Because her father still owns a high percentage of GEH and he is refusing to sell," he explains. "Just so he can own my ass and give his precious princess what she wants."

"Is it worth it though, Christian," I ask him. "Is GEH worth it?"

"What's the alternative," he shrugs. "Being the poor pathetic bastard I was, again."

"You were never that," I tell him angrily.

"I don't want to talk about this depressing shit anymore," he waves it away. "Tell me about this girlfriend of yours."

"Uh," I take a shot to stall. "She's great. She's perfect. I love her."

"How long before you cheat on her," he says to me.

"I don't cheat," I tell him. "And this, coming from Mr. Wall Fucker over here."

"I stand corrected," he says taking a shot. "How long before you get bored and move on?"

"You know," I start and pause to take a shot. "This one is different. This one is the one."

He smirks at me before he holds up his shot glass to toast me then takes his shot.

"Get back to me with that in a few weeks," he tells me. "After some new flavored blonde has given you a whiff of what's between her legs."

I shake my head and laugh as I take a shot. If only he knew how serious I was about my Banana. I plan to marry that girl someday.

….

After two hours and about forty tequila shots between us, Christian and I are drunk off our asses.

I make my eyes work good enough to look over at Christian, only there are now two of them. I scoot over to where they are in the booth and I lean up against the wrong one. I end up face planting the leather seat. I have half a mind to stay my ass down here and sleep it off, but I manage to sit back up again.

"You know bro," I tell him finally, leaning my chin on his shoulder as he leans in to lend me his ear. "I fucking love you."

He shoos me away.

"No, NO I fucking mean it, man," I tell him as best I can. My tongue is a bit heavy and it keeps getting in the way when I talk. "I'm being….. I'm being fucking serious right now. Listen to what I'm telling you."

"I know El, I know," he tells me. At least I think that's what he said. "I fucking love you too, big bro. I fucking look up to you Lelliot. You are my bro, man."

….

Sometime after the club closes,Taylor, Christian's CPO, manages to get me in a cab home while he takes care of Christian. I give the cab driver Ana's address.

Now here I am, stumbling up her walk way at two a.m. and I have no idea how I'm going to get in.

"Elliot," Carla opens her door and calls my name.

"Hey…, Hey, Carla," I greet her, trying and failing not to sound drunk. "I was just in the neighborhood and I thought I might stop by for a visit."

"She's in her room, Elliot," she says stepping aside and letting me in. I thank her and carefully walk up the stairs.

I walk into her room and my eyes land right on Ana. She is snuggled up under the covers on one side of the bed.

I fall out on the bed on top of the covers and put my arm around her. I fall instantly into a deep sleep. I know my head is going to hurt like a motherfucker when I get up for work in three hours, but for now. I enjoy the feel of my beautiful angel next to me.


	12. In A Pickle And Pickle Juice Too

Haunted By You

Chapter 12

In A Pickle And Pickle Juice Too

...

Ana's POV

I try to change positions and I feel a heavy arm around my waist. I turn over and stare into Elliot's handsome face. I can't help but smile at him. He looks so peaceful sleeping. But boy, does he reek of alcohol. I look over at the alarm clock and it reads just after five a.m. I am going to have to wake him up soon so that he can get home and change.

You are so damn lucky I love you Elliot Grey, I think as I drag myself out of my warm bed and head to my medicine cabinet looking for Advil for him to take. I go downstairs to get him a glass of water and I wonder what else I could get him to help with a hangover.

"Mom," I call her surprised when I see her at the kitchen table drinking coffee. "How long have you been up?"

"Not too long," she says, but it looks like she hasn't slept at all and I want to kill Bob for hurting her like this. "Elliot's still asleep?"

"Um, yeah," I say embarrassed. I guess she must have let him in last night. "I came to get him some water. He'll probably have a hangover."

"As drunk as he looked last night, I'd bet on it and I have just the thing," She smiles and gives me a bottle of water and a glass full of some light green liquid. I take it, smell it and instantly recoil.

"Pickle juice and ginger," she says. "It's a good cure for a hangover."

"And this is why I never drink," I tell her, walking away as she laughs.

"Aw fucking shiiiit," I hear Elliot groan as I walk into my room. He is just coming out of the bathroom.

I try not to laugh at him and do all I can to hide my amusement as he sits back down on the bed and looks at me miserably.

I go over to kiss him and I smell mouth wash on his breath.

Here I said giving him the bottle of water and the two Advil. He downs them and then I hand him the pickle juice.

"Yes, hangover cure," he says excitedly as he gulps down the whole glass.

"Why the hell am I not surprised that you would know what that was," I ask him and he grins at me.

"I got to go get ready for work, babe," he says disappointed.

"Are you sure you're okay to drive," I ask him and he gives me a horrified look.

"What," I ask in concern.

"I don't know where my car is," he says picking up the phone to call Christian.

Apparently Taylor has dropped it off at Elliot's apartment and left the keys with the manager. I grab my keys to take him home.

"I'm already up anyway," I tell him when he feels bad for putting me out. I grab some clothes to wear to work so I won't have to come back home. I smile in delight when he tells me to just back some things for the next few days.

I say goodbye to my mom. Elliot thanks her for letting him in and making him the hangover cure and we head out.

"So, how was the bonding," I ask him on the ride to his place.

"From what I can remember, great," he says. "But you were right, babe. Christian is having a hard time. He is in such a mess."

"Well, it's a good thing he has a big brother to lean on," I tell him. He kisses my free hand as I drive.

"Thanks for the heads up about him," he tells me. "I feel like shit though."

"Why," I ask him

"Well there he was suffering, and I was too damn jealous of what looked like his success, to notice," he tells me.

"But you are going to be there for him now and that's all that matters," I tell him. "Christian is very good at hiding his emotions. Most of the time, no one knows what's in that head of his until he springs it on you."

"I guess that's what makes him good at what he does," Elliot says and I smile when I hear a hint of pride in his voice.

I try to make Elliot something to eat, but just the word food made him nearly lose his pickle juice, so I wisely left it alone.

…

By mid morning, I was on a roll at SIP. I had managed to calm down my moody rock star, Boyd Lockhart, and finally got him to agree to give me something more tangible about his life then bedding hot chicks and on stage penis exposures.

I had also managed to finish the story on Christian and emailed it to him. By late morning when he didn't reply, I called his secretary, Andréa, who said he wasn't expected in the office all day. Worried now, I decide to call and check on him.

"Hey Kiddo," he answers my phone call groggily.

"Shoot, did I wake you, I'm sorry," I tell him.

"No, I'm awake. It's just the affect of way too much damn tequila last night," he tells me. "My head feels like shit."

"Didn't you drink pickle juice," I ask him. The silence on the phone tells me he has no idea what I'm talking about. "It's a cure for hanger over. Anyway, I emailed my story to you, but you are not in a good way right now, so I'll let you get some rest."

"No, its fine," he says. "My computer is on the fritz here so I really can't check it. Why don't you run a copy over? I'm not that far from you and you want to get it out as soon as possible, right?"

"That's true," I tell him. "Okay, I'll be there in twenty, where should I park?"

"Any space marked penthouse," he tells me. "Taylor will be waiting by the elevator to escort you up."

"Hello Taylor," I greet the tall muscular buzzed cut haired body guard who helps me out of my car and escorts me to the elevator.

"Hello Miss. Steele," he greets me and takes the small grocery bag and manila envelope I'm carrying.

"How's Christian doing," I ask him on the elevator ride up.

"He's been better, Ma'am," he tells me.

I wait in the huge living room while Taylor goes to find Christian. I take a look around the large room and I am left speechless at how beautiful it is. It has spectacular view of the city. From up here I feel like I am a million miles away from reality. Knowing Christian, I'm sure that's one of the reasons he likes it.

Christian comes out of what I guess is his bedroom in gray sweatpants and a wrinkled up T-shirt, his unruly copper hair going in every direction on top of his head.

"How much tequila did you drink," I ask of him in awe.

He tried to laugh but stops when it hurts his head.

"Sit down," I say to him and direct him over to his couch.

"Yes, Ma'am," he says to me, amused that I am giving him directions in his own house.

"Damn right," I tease him. "Which way is your kitchen?"

He points me in the general direction.

"Okay," I tell him. "If I'm not back in an hour come and search for me."

"The place is not that big," he tells me.

Maybe not to him, but you could fit my mom's house and Elliot's apartment in this place and still have room.

"Hi," I greet the lovely looking woman in the kitchen. "I'm Ana, Christian's friend."

"Yes, of course," she says warmly. "I'm Mrs. Jones his housekeeper. May I get you anything?"

"No, Ma'am, I just want to make Christian something to help with his….headache," I tell her.

"Well, how thoughtful of you," she says surprised. "I will leave you to it, then. Just yell out if you need anything."

"Okay," I say to her. When she leaves I shake my head. I hope Christian isn't bellowing through the house for his staff.

I hurry and make the pickle juice and ginger recipe my mom gave me.

Now remembering something, I actually do need Mrs. Jones, so I reluctantly call her name loud enough to where I think she could hear me.

She comes in as I am finishing cleaning up the mess I made.

"Oh you didn't have to do that," she tells me.

"As the daughter of a housekeeper, my mom would kill me if she knew I left a mess for someone else to clean," I joke with her and she laughs.

She gets me two Advil and I carry them and the pickle juice to Christian.

I find him looking over his story.

"You really expect me to drink that," he looks at me in question.

"Yes," I tell him sternly, "All of it."

CPOV

I gulp down that horrid juice along with the two Advil.

"Good," she says, pleased. "Now I'll leave you to look that over. I'm dying to know what you think."

"Don't go," I tell her, trying not to sound desperate. "It's almost lunchtime. Stay and eat."

"You need to relax," she says. "Not waste your energy entertaining me."

"It's no trouble," I tell her. "I feel bad having you come over here."

"Don't worry about it. I usually drive past here on my way to lunch anyway," she tells me, getting up and looking around. "You should have a party. This place is crazy nice."

"A party," I ask her.

"Yeah," she says excited. "One of those snooty ones, where everyone stands around with their noses turned up at each other."

She can't hold her laugh by the time she gets to the last word.

"Oh very funny kiddo," I tease her.

"But seriously Christian, I love this place," she tells me. "You are going to have a happy life here."

I nod my head sadly at the thought of the life I am trying desperately to get out of.

"Hey Christian," she says noticing my expression. "I spoke to Elliot this morning…."

"You did," I say to her surprised.

"Yes," she says. "But don't worry, he didn't tell me anything to break your bro bonding code or whatever. He just told me that you weren't as happy as you should be right now."

"Ana..." I try to interrupt.

"I know I've been away for four years," she tells me. "But I am still your friend and I am still here if you need me."

"Then stay for lunch," I tell her. "I'll have Mrs. Jones heat up some Mac and cheese." I know she can't resist that.

"Okay, you've twisted my arm," she says to me and I smile at her.

"Sir," Taylor calls to me quietly from his place by the voyeur, "A word?"

"I'll be right back Ana," I tell her. "Make yourself at home."

"What is it Taylor," I ask him when we are out of Ana's ear shot. I am concerned because he knows not to interrupt me unless it's serious.

"Caroline Acton is on the line," he tells me. "She says that Miss. Carlyle is at Niemen's and her bill has gone well beyond the amount on her debit card. Miss Carlyle is demanding that it be charged to your account."

"I'll speak to Mrs. Acton, thank you Taylor," I tell him. "Have Mrs. Jones prepare the Mac and Cheese for lunch."

Jen is going to spend me out of house and home. How the hell do you blow through twenty thousand dollars in less than a month on clothes?

"Mrs. Acton," I say, getting on the line in my office.

"Mr. Grey," she begins. "I am terribly sorry to bother you, Sir, but I just have to verify if Miss. Carlyle is authorized to make purchases on your personal account."

"No bother at all," I assure her. "Miss Carlyle does not have authorization to use my account. If she gives you anymore worry, do not hesitate to call security to escort her out."

"Yes, uh, very well Mr. Grey, Thank you," she says.

APOV

"Hey, Banana," Elliot answers my call.

"Hey EGy," I tease him. "I can't do lunch today, I'm over at Christian's place."

"Why, is he alright," he asks me concerned.

"He's about ten times worse than you were this morning," I tell him.

"Yeah, I bet," he says. "He was throwing back tequila shots like water."

"I need him to sign off on his story and he wants me to try his cook's Mac and Cheese," I tell him.

"So," he says. "Are you telling me that while I am having to eat at some dive, you are going to be dining on homemade, and I'm pretty sure, gourmet Mac and cheese."

"Afraid so, my love," I tell him pretending to sound guilty.

"Okay," he says. "But you better make it up to me later."

"Don't worry, I will. I have something in mind for you tonight, so don't work too hard, you are going to need a lot of energy," I tell him. "I love you."

CPOV

I can't fucking believe what I just walked in and heard Ana say. Not only is she fucking some jackass but she LOVES him! No way in hell is that going to fucking last baby, You. Are. Mine!

"Who was that," I ask her. "Was that the boy friend?"

Play it cool Grey

"Uh, yes, it was actually," She tells me happily, which serves to just piss me off even more and I know she can tell.

"Don't start with the lecture ChriGy," She scolds me.

"Jesus Christ," I groan. "When did you unearth that fucking name?"

"A while ago," she giggles at me and all of my anger dissolves with that amazing sound.

We sit at the breakfast bar waiting for Mrs. Jones to serve us lunch.

"I have to admit," I tell her honestly. "That pickle juice really did the trick. I feel much better."

"Good," she says. "Glad I could help. You had me worried for a minute."

I love the fact that she was so worried about me. I'll take it as a good sign that she still cares for me the way she use to.

Mrs. Jones puts the Mac and Cheese in front of her and she quickly tastes it.

"Oh my GOD," she moans out in pleasure causing me and Mrs. Jones to laugh. "I have died and gone to cheesy noodle heaven."

Pleased that Ana likes her dish, Mrs. Jones takes her leave of us.

"Ana I need to talk to you about your boyfriend," I tell her.

"What about him," she asks me.

"Well it's more about us," I tell her, "You and me."

I swallow hard. Rethinking rather I should come clean with her or not. But this "I love you" to the "boyfriend" has changed the game and I have to put my hat in the ring before the damn fight is over with and this bastard wins.

It's either now or never.

"Ana, I knew when we were younger that you had a thing for me," I tell her. "I want you to know that I liked you too…"

"You did," she says surprised.

"I most certainly did," I tell her. "Why do you sound so surprised?"

"No, it's just you never said anything, or even hinted. I would throw myself at you all the time," she tells me. "I just figured you saw me as the chubby annoying friend of your sister."

"Ana you stopped being "chubby" once you hit puberty," I tell her. "You were hot and you are even hotter now."

"Wha…okay, well…." She starts to squirm and I smirk at how uncomfortable I'm making her. "I really don't think we need to take a stroll back that far down memory lane Christian. We are two different people now."

"I'm not that different, Ana," I tell her. "My feelings aren't that different for you that they were back then."

"What are you trying to say, Christian," she asks me.

"I'm trying to say that although I never acted on my feelings for you, they were always there." I tell her. "My feelings for you never stopped Ana. In fact they've only grown stronger since you've returned."

"Christian," she begins.

"I want you Ana," I spell it out for her. "You need to stop seeing this so called boyfriend of yours. I won't share you."

"Are you serious," she asks me angrily.

"Deadly serious," I tell her. "This is our chance to be together now."

"I'm supposed to just dump the man I love because you say," she tells me. "What the hell is your problem? Okay, I get that you're hungover, but do I need to remind you that you are engaged to…"

"Fuck that Ana," I tell her. "I want you, not Jen. I have always wanted you, but I let other things get in the way."

"Other things," she spits out. "No what you mean is, you let your need for Jen's daddy's money get in the way. What you mean is that I being the daughter of your housekeeper was beneath you at the time because being with me didn't fit into your rule the world plans. You couldn't very well parade me around at your business functions."

"Ana,….."

"No," she says getting up to put distance between us. "Now that you've had some revelation and found out that someone else wants me, you decided that I'm finally worth while? What did you expect me to do about your feelings? Did you think I would just drop my life and run into your arms?"

"I'd hoped you would," I tell her. "I'd hoped you'd see what we can have. Look around you, Ana, all of this could be for us."

"I don't want this," she yells at me. "I never have. It means nothing to me. I want more than this."

"I can give you more," I say to her. "I can give you everything you could possibly want."

"I already have it," she tells me. "I am in love with…."

"How could you possibly be," I accuse her. "You've only been back a few weeks, unless you met him in college. Who the fuck is this guy, Ana?"

"None of you damn business, Christian," she yells at me and walks out of the kitchen.

I follow her into the great room where she is standing looking at Jen. Judging by the look on Jen's face, she has just heard some of what I said to Ana.

SHIT!

"I can't believe you," Jen yells at me.

"Welcome to the club," Ana says under her breath.

"Ana," Jen says to me. "Well isn't this a surprise. It's not like I didn't know this was going on years ago when you kept defending her….."

"Shut up Jen," I tell her.

"And here I thought you were sick today," she accuses me. "You couldn't even get out of bed earlier."

"Ana came by to take care of me," I tell at her, "Instead of going fucking shopping."

"I tried to take care of you," she yells back at me. "You wanted nothing to do with me and now I see why."

"Jen, can you give us a minute please," I actually ask her nicely.

"Are you asking your wife to leave our home so you could talk to your mistress," she asks me.

"This is my fucking home," I tell her.

"And that's all you took from that," she says hurt.

"Jen..." I start, pacing back and forth.

"Wow, you have energy now," she accuses me. "You're all hyper and flushed. Did you drag her into the red room…?"

"Shut up Jen," I spite at her.

"She must not be very good," she says. "I usually have you knocked out for hours….."

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, JEN," I yell at this bitch. I am about to lose my shit.

I can't believe this. I couldn't have scripted this nightmare any better.

"Jen, we were just….forget it," Ana says, giving up trying to explain. "Don't worry, I'm leaving."

"Ana we're not done…" I start to try and get her to stay.

"Yes, we are," she spits out at me, making sure I understand her meaning. "How do I call the elevator?"

"Punch in your birthday," Jen tells Ana the elevator code never taking her eyes off of me.

Ana looks at me, finally believing my words to be true. She quickly leaves for the elevator. I hear she and Taylor exchange a few words and knowing him, he escorted her down to her car.

"What the fuck are you playing at Jennifer," I ask her as calmly as I can, but I am dangerously close to exploding. I just watched the love of my life walk away from me without a backwards glance.

"Me," she says. "What the hell did I just walk in on? Not only do you embarrass me at Niemen's, but I walk in to hear you spilling your guts out to that bitch."

"Watch your fucking mouth Jen," I warn her.

"What the fuck do you want her for," she asks me. "She's nobody in our world. She can't give you anything but her body and you know damn well mine is better suited for your tastes."

"I'm so fucking sick of this shit," I tell her, running my hands through my hair in frustration.

"You're sick? I walk in on you about to toss me aside and, YOUR'RE SICK," she tells me. "Well, why don't I just leave your sick ass then? And I will make sure everything goes with me. I will take your company and this fucking penthouse, all of those damn cars you got, your fucking staff that treats me like shit. I will own it all!"

"Well fucking have at it then," I tell her, calmly walking away to go to my office.

I dump the contents of a banker's box on the floor and begin to pack my shit: A picture of my birth parents, a picture of my parents and a picture of me, Elliot, Mia and Ana. Elliot and I were scaring Mia and Ana with a frog we found one summer, playing around at Piper's Creek.

Funny, out of all the expensive shit in this room I could grab, this is what means the most.

"What the hell are you doing Christian," Jen asks me when she enters the room.

"Taking what's mine from your office," I tell her. "I am sick of you holding this shit over my head! I am sick of you and your fucking father threatening to take what I worked my ass off to build. To hell with it, Elliot was right, it's not worth it. So, you want it all? You got it! Good fucking luck with it."

"Christian, you can't just leave," she tells me seeing that I am serious and that I've been pushed too far today. "What are you going to do, go live back with your parents like your loser brother did?"

She screams as I slam her hard against the wall. I grab her face in my hands hard enough to hurt and tears fall from her eyes.

"If you know what's good for you," I spit at her, my voice lethal with anger. "You will keep my brother's name out of your cock sucking mouth. That goes for the rest of my family including Ana. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, Sir," she cries and I let her go.

"To answer your question," I tell her as I continue to pack. "Yes, I'm going home to my parents, just like my brother did. And then I'm going to figure out just what the fuck possessed me to fuck up my life the way that I have."

I look around the room one last time. I gave up Ana for this shit, she's right it means nothing.

"Christian, I'm sorry," Jen pleads. "I didn't mean it. I was just upset about what happened at Niemen's. But I shouldn't have been, you were right not to let me spend so much, I'm really sorry. Please don't go."

"I can't do this anymore, Jen," I tell her. "It's not working for me anymore. Your constant fucking mood swings, your demands of my time, your insecurities. I can't fucking breathe."

"I just want you to love me," she cries. "I just want you to stand up for me and stop letting people treat me like shit. Your staff won't even buy me bread and I'm your fiancé."

I let out a guilty sigh because she is right in her accusations.

"I spoke to Mrs. Jones about that," I tell her. "That was my fault. She was just following what I told her to do. In any case, she's yours to do with as you please now."

"Christian, please don't leave me," she begs as she blocks the door. "I promise I'll change. I'll do anything you say."

"No, Jen, it's not just you, I'm as much at fault for this as you are," I tell her. "Let's not do this anymore, just let me go. Get out of the way."

"No, we can make this work, I know we can," she says and I shake my head no. "I'll go in the playroom tonight."

"Jen…." I begin to say, but she can tell by the tone of my voice, my resolve is waning at the mention of the playroom. She takes the box out of my hand and sits it on the floor.

"I'll let you spend hours punishing me," she says wrapping her hands around my neck and grinding her pelvis into my rapidly growing erection.

A moan escapes me when I think of punishing her.

"You can do whatever you want," she says, "have your way with me."

I push her up against the door and hike up her black mini skit.

She moans when I push her panties aside and slide two fingers into her. She instantly becomes wet and I know she's close to cuming.

"Getting me riled up like this turns you," I demand to know.

"Yes sir," she moans out.

"Well you're getting what you want then," I spit out. "I am going to enjoy punishing your defiant ass."

"Then, you're not leaving me," she asks me.

She cries out when I rip her panties away from her pussy leaving her bared before me.

"No limits," I ask her and she shakes her head.

"No limits," she agrees, "and no safe wording."

"Mmmmmmm," I moan out completely aroused. "Playroom, now! And Leave the skirt on."

Jen's POV

"Yes, Sir," I tell him as I leave his office .

I grab the key from the bedroom and make my way upstairs to the playroom. I gather my strength, get into my submissive position, and I wait patiently for my Christian.

Things between us haven't been that good and it's been getting worse. I try to be everything he needs, but it's hard sometimes. I do love him and I know he loves me, even though he may not believe it. I have loved him since the first moment I saw him all those years ago and I am not about to give him up to that bitch he thinks he is in love with.

I can't believe he was actually going to leave me. I almost lost him this time, just because I chose that moment to be stupid and push him too far.

I just prey I didn't anger him so much that he wants to use the cane tonight, but if that is what I have to endure to keep him then I will gladly to it.

I took away all of my limits because I knew he wouldn't be able to walk away from that. No way in hell he could resist a punishment scene with no limits.

I steady myself as he comes into the room. "Come to me," he demands and I quickly get up to go to him. I keep my eyes down so not to look at him until he gives me permission to.

He ties my wrists and hooks them to the carbine hook in the center of the room. My heart sinks when he goes for the cane.

He grabs my hair and yanks my head so that my face is exposed to him.

He kisses me roughly pushing his tongue deep in my opened mouth.

"Look at me," he demands and I quickly raise my eyes to look into his. I am overcome by the desire for me I see in them.

Yes this is how I will hold on to him.


	13. Ana Banana Sundae

Ana Banana Sundae

APOV

Surprisingly, I make it though the work day in spite of my foul mood. To say I am confused about Christian's sudden flux in feelings for me would be just the tip of the iceberg. I don't know what he's trying to prove, but I sure as hell am not going to be a part of whatever fantasy he has going on in his head. I have been subjected to him and Jen's crap since I was fourteen years old and they are still just as toxic as ever in the way they treat each other.

Now I am at a loss as to what to do. Do I tell Elliot what happened? If I do, then I run the risk of damaging him and Christian's relationship just when they are starting to get close again. I don't want to be responsible for that.

Maybe, I'm making too much of it. It was probably just the after effects of too much tequila and the fact that I was there at that moment instead of Jen. I'm sure he is feeling very embarrassed by it and he will apologize to me for the way he behaved. Knowing how proud he is, that will probably not happen for a few days though.

I called it a day a bit early and left for Elliot's place. He texted, saying that he was going to be late and I shouldn't expect him before six. That gives me a little more time to set up my surprise for him, so I stop by the market on my way home and pick up our special desert.

CPOV

I leave Jen thoroughly fucked to unconsciousness in our bed and head to my office.

We spent the past two hours in the play and damn if she wasn't addicting. She enjoyed it as much, if not more, than I did. I was proud of the way she took her punishment. I spanked her with the belt, flogged her, and finally, I caned her ten times on her ass and she barely made a sound.

My aggression gave way to lust and I spent the better part of that time rewarding her by bringing her to orgasm after glorious orgasm before I found my own release. She deserved every bit of pleasure I gave her to take a punishment like that without safe wording.

She is right. Her body was made to please me. But fuck it, I still want Ana. If I was honest with myself I would admit that it was Ana who I was punishing and giving orgasms to for that smart mouth of hers. If Jen hadn't come home, I may very well have dragged Ana into my playroom and had my way with her until she forgot all about that limp dick she calls a boyfriend.

I soothed Jen down with a cool bath and arnica cream, but I know that her ass is going to be bruised in the morning. I made no apologies to her for that. She knew the deal when she gave up her limits. Fuck just thinking about that makes me hard all over again.

I can't believe this is the same girl I had to convince to try BDSM when I came back from that year of hell my parents called college. I thought Harvard would be the best place for me to go. I wanted my own company and I believed, like my parents, that college was the stepping stone to get me there. Jen's dad had gone to Harvard as well as my own and they both encouraged to me go. After all I couldn't own a successful company being dumb as a damn post.

I quickly found out that Harvard was not the place for a guy like me to be. The classes taught me nothing I didn't already know. It was a colossal waste of my time. I quickly became bored of the whole damn thing.

I called my parents after the first week of classes and told them I was ready to come home, but they encouraged me to stick it out, believing that I was just homesick and would be okay after I got settled into a routine. But it never became okay, because I never got settled in.

I hated my roommate, pompous prick reminded me too much of myself, so I stayed away from my dorm room choosing instead to hang out at bars all night. I was always drunk, hung-over, or on my way to get drunk. Then of course came the bar fighting. I welcomed it and truthfully, I usually started it. It was a great way to take out my frustration about my parents refusal to allow me to come back home.

In between my drinking, I did manage to make it to a class or two. And that's where I met her. Professor Jade Malory, my art history teacher. In the beginning I was pissed that I had to take an art history class since I was a fucking business major, but when I got a look at her, I never missed a day of her class.

She was a beautiful prudish tall blonde, blue eyed, forty year old. She was all business and I swear that bitch was wound so tight she just screamed "I need to be fucked hard."

I had no idea how hard until one day it all came to a head. I had been flirting mercilessly with her for weeks. Every day after class I would tease her and tell her how sexy she looked in those granny glasses and starched black sweaters. She was coy and aloof on the surface, but I could see by the way her nipples perked up at my words that she wanted me.

One day I came to her class drunk off my ass and fell asleep. The next thing I knew I was jarred awake by the sting of someone slapping my face. I got up ready to fight until I saw that the class was empty except for my blonde beauty standing there at her desk fuming at me.

I was so pissed I grabbed her and kissed her full on the mouth. She pushed me away, slapped me again and kissed me hard. We were both so turned on by it, she let me fuck her right there on her desk and I fucked her every day after that.

It turns out, my matronly beauty was into BDSM. She taught me all about punishment fucks, pleasure fucks, self control, and domination. Being her Dom in training was the only bright spot in that hell hole I was trapped in. The things she let me do to her were mind blowing. Nothing was sacred with her body and nothing was taboo. I've never felt so in control and powerful as when she was submitting to my will.

I would hang out with her and all of her friends at the art galleries. To this day she is the reason I have a passion for art and I have a large portrait of her in my office at GEH. Jen thinks it's just a generic painting of a beautiful woman.

She was killed in a car accident shortly before I left Harvard. In fact her death is the reason I left Harvard. I had lost three important people in my life the same way and I couldn't handle it.

My parents were beyond livid when I showed up at home one day and told them I was done with school. My dad refused to speak a word to me for two straight weeks. When he finally spoke, it was to tell me I had to move out and that he would no longer support me. I knew it was a tactical move on his part to get me to conform and go back to school. He was certain I couldn't make it without him.

I lived with Elliot until I found a decent apartment. I went to work for James Carlyle, Jen's dad. He took me under his wing and groomed me much like Jade had done, but without the sex of course. Lucky for me, I was much too old for the guy. He likes his boys young. Jen was estatic to have me back and I was determined to make a success of myself and prove to my dad that I didn't fucking need his support.

In my desperation though, I made a pact with the devil and now I'm living with the consequences. I wish my dad would have shown me a little bit of compassion, but that is not how Carrick Grey gets what he wants and he is a man who doesn't stop until he gets what he wants. Hell that's where I learned it from.

Carla's POV

"Carrick I told you not to come back here," I tell him, opening up my front door and letting him in before someone sees him. "What if Ana was here?"

"I know she's not," he told me. "Her car isn't in the drive. And what if she was here? I can't stop by to say hi to her and to you?"

"You know damn well you're not just stopping by," I tell him and he lets out a long breath.

"I can't stay away from you, Carla," he confesses. "I tried, but I can't. Don't ask me to."

"Carrick…"

"I'm filing for divorce from Grace," he tells me.

"Carrick don't be an idiot," I tell him. "You are going to lose your family over a one night stand?"

"Oh don't make what this is between us sound that cheap and meaningless when you know damn well that it's not," he yells at me angrily.

"Don't do this Carrick," I beg him. "Think about your kids…"

"My kids are adults," he tells me. "They are old enough to understand that in relationships things just don't work out sometimes."

"What about Grace," I ask him.

"I care about Grace," he admits. "Of course I care about her, but I don't love her. We haven't loved each other for a long time…."

"That's just not true," I tell him. "I can't speak for you, but I know for a fact Grace loves you and your kids may be adults but they still idolize their father, especially Mia. This will devastate not only them but you, me, Ana…."

"So what the hell are we to do," he says raking his hands through his hair in frustration. "Continue to live in misery to make everyone else happy?"

"Even if you divorce Grace," I tell him. "You and I can't be together, you do realize that? Grace is my best friend. I have already betrayed her in the worst way, I can't do that again no matter how much…"

"How much you love me," he says when I stop talking.

"You are not mine to love," I remind him.

"Carla, please let me love you," he begs me, taking me into his arms.

Yes, Oh God help me, yes.

Elliot's POV

I sigh as I stand outside my front door, glad to have this work day done and over with. I smile wide when I think of Ana just beyond the door waiting for me. I quickly open it and step inside.

"What tha," I whisper as I walk farther into the living room. The shades are all drawn and there is not a light on in the whole apartment except for candles that are casting off a soft glow.

"Ana, baby," I call for her.

"Over here," she says to me. I nearly lose my breath when I catch sight of her.

"Jesus baby," I whisper, taking her in. She is leaning against the kitchen door frame in a lacey black merrywidow that ties half way up the front and matching barely there panties, topped off with a hot pink satin robe. But it's those damn thigh high stockings and garter belt with the jet black Louboutin stilettos that are just about to make me cum like a never been fucked teenager.

"Wow ,You look….you…damn," I pant out.

She crooks her index finger at me and I walk over to her like I'm in some kind of trance. She pulls me by the collar of my work shirt and kisses me long and deep.

"Mmmm," is all I can manage to say. I reach down and grab her ass with one hand while the other works to undo the lace up at her tits.

"Oh not yet, ," she tells me, stepping out of my grasp. "I need to feed you first."

I take a minute to wash off my day and change into a clean pair of jeans before I let Ana have her way with me.

"Looks delicious," I say as I take a sit at the kitchen table. "You're not eating, baby," I ask her when I only see one table setting.

"I ate already," she tells me. "I want to feed you now."

Damn if she didn't mean literally. She told me she would make it up to me earlier today at Christian's place, but I would have settled for a sandwich.

She has wonderfully prepared me a home cooked meal of Filet Mignon with rich balsamic glaze, steamed asparagus, baby red potatoes and baked peaches and cream for dessert.

She straddles my legs and feeds me every bite. The feel of her in my arms, as she carefully feeds me all of these amazing foods, with so much flavor that just seduces my taste buds, is as close to heaven as I've ever been.

"Thank you, baby," I say to her as she dabs the corners of my mouth. "That was wonderful." Never have I been so pampered. Damn I could get use to this.

"May I have my desert now," she asks me.

Fuck yeah

She leads me to the bedroom, undresses me and lays me flat on my back.

She leaves me on the bed and I watch as she grabs a can of reddi whip from a champagne chiller.

My girl is going all out tonight.

"Ah, fuck baby," I tense as she squirts the cold whip cream on my rock hard erection. My protest dissolves into a low moan as she takes me in her warm mouth and sucks.

Fuck she knows just how to work me over with that mouth of hers. I throw my head back trying my damndest not to cum.

I grab the back of her head. I move her hair out of her face so that I can look at her. The sight of her face in the candle light as my dick goes in and out of her mouth is all it takes.

"Shit, banana….shit," I hiss at her as I cum long and hard in her mouth. She swallows and doesn't stop until she has milked me bone dry.

"Mmmmmmm, you taste good," she says looking up at me and smacking her lips.

I grab her by the arms and drag her up my body until she is even with me and I flip her over. I take my time undressing her, savoring every minute as I meticulously unlace and unhook every piece of fabric, dragging it slowly away from her body until she is left only in her thigh high stockings.

"I can't taste as good as you, baby," I finally tell her as I grab the reddi whip can and squirt it on her nipples.

"Mmmm," she whimpers arching up into me as I suckle each one. "Elliot, please."

"Not yet, baby," I answer her, knowing that she is begging for me to be inside of her. "I want to taste you first."

I move down in between her legs and squirt reddi whip to top off my very own Ana Banana Sundae.

"Ohyesyesyes," she moans out loudly as I lick and suck off the whip cream until she cums in my mouth. Jesus Christ she tastes good.

I lick her clean as she bucks and squirms under me, riding out her orgasm.

"There's nothing like a Ana Banana Sundae," I tell her as I make way back up to her and she laughs.

"You feel so good," she breaths out, as I make love to her. "I love you Elliot."

"I love you, baby, so much, so damn much," I moan out as we move as one and finally cum together.

CPOV

Now I sit at my desk contemplating my next move.

I showed my hand to Ana and I didn't get the reaction I was hoping for. I should have known I couldn't keep her on the back burner all these years and expect her to still be open to me as easy as that. At least now she knows how I feel. I know she still has feelings for me. I just have to remind her. I have to show her how good we can be together.

It was good between us today until I let my jealousy overtake me and ruined it. I won't make that mistake again. I need to get her to trust me. I need to make her think I am on her side while I put seeds of doubt in her head about this so called boyfriend. And when she is vulnerable, I'll make my move.

I will apologize to her, blame it on the alcohol and slide back into the friend zone. I will wait patiently until she is comfortable with me again. I won't give up until I have her. I will have her. I am Christian fucking Grey for fucks sakes.

"Sir," Taylor says as he enters my office. "Welch dropped off the information his guy got on Mr. Carlyle."

"Is Jen still sleeping," I ask him.

"I believe so sir, she hasn't come out of your room," Taylor says.

"Have a seat Taylor," I tell him and he does.

My first order of business is to bring down James Carlyle so that I may finally be rid of him and his daughter. I open up the envelope and breathe a sigh of relief. The bastard has finally slipped up.

"Have copies of this made and then hand it over to Mr. Carlyle personally. Leave only after you have seen him open and view the contents," I tell Taylor.

"Yes, sir," Taylor says to me and takes the manila envelope.

"Anastasia Steele," I say, moving on to my next order of business.

I mention her name and damn if Taylor doesn't crack what I think is his version of a smile. I know he and Mrs. Jones think highly of Ana. I overheard them talking in the kitchen before I joined Jen in the playroom earlier.

"Are you're telling me that she came all the way over here just to make him something for his hangover and then actually took the time to clean up after herself," I heard Taylor ask Mrs. Jones in surprise. 

"Yes, she most certainly did," Mrs. Jones told him. "She is an absolute delight, so down to earth and friendly." 

"I haven't said much to her, of course, but I believe you're right, she seems very sincere," Taylor agreed.

"She truly is," Mrs. Jones continued to sing Ana's praises. "You should have seen Mr. Grey with her today. He actually laughed a real laugh. She brings out such joy in him. Not at all like Jen."

"Careful, Gail," Taylor warned her.

"She's crass, Jason," Mrs. Jones said in a whisper as if it were a dirty word.

"She is the boss's fiancé, we have to treat her with respect," Taylor reminded her.

"You're absolutely right," she agreed, "but I don't have to like it."

"No I guess you don't" Taylor actually laughed.

"She is a close personal friend of mine," I tell Taylor now. "I am sad to say she is involved with a man that I believe is trying to hurt her. He may be using her to get to me. I need to know more about this man, but I don't want to alarm Miss. Steele or bring this to her attention without hard facts."

"I completely understand Sir," he says. "If you give me his name, I'll have Welch run a background check on this guy."

"Miss. Steele wasn't forthcoming with that information," I tell him. "She wants to keep things between them private. I want a CPO assigned to her, but he has to be covert. I don't want her to know that she is under my protection just yet."

"Of course not Sir," he says to me and I know he is not buying an ounce of my bullshit. "I know a man by the name of Luke Sawyer. He is an ex FBI agent who also served as a Secret Service Agent for President Clinton, so he knows how to be…..discreet."

"I guess he would have to," I laugh at his meaning. Bill Clinton is definately my idol.

"I'll have him on Miss. Steele first thing in the morning, with the understanding that he is to remain under the radar," he says to me. "If she sees this boyfriend of hers anytime tomorrow, you'll know about it."

"Thank you," I tell him. "That will be all Taylor."

I am going to find this bastard one way or another and make him regret the day he ever touched what's mine.


	14. Ready

Haunted By You

Chapter 14

Ready

APOV

"Mmmm," I groaned when I heard Elliot's alarm go off at five a.m. "Let's call off today."

"The way you worked me over with your skills last night, I just might have to do that," Elliot mumbled sleepily.

"Skills," I say in surprise.

"Hell yes. You, Ana Banana Rose Steele are the best lover I have ever had," he tells me honestly.

"Well, considering the source," I tease. "That's saying a lot."

I laugh as he pins me down to tickle me, but passion over takes us and he ends up burying himself inside me once again.

"I love sleeping and waking up with you in my arms," he tells me once we catch our breath and calm down.

"Me too," I whisper to him as I snuggle up on his chest. "When I get my own place, will you spend the night with me?"

"You know, I've been thinking alot about that," he says to me as he lightly runs his fingertips up and down my back. "Why don't we get a place together?"

"What," I say shooting straight up and he follows suit.

"Things are really going great for Grey Construction, Ana," he tells me excited. "The Seattle Concert Hall was just deemed a historical building and it is up for restoration. I won the bid, Ana. It's a three million dollar in profit project."

"Are you serious," I ask him. My eyes are so wide, they are about to pop out of my head.

"I just found out yesterday, that's why I was late getting home," he tells me. "Add that on top of the Kavanagh Media, The Mile High Club, and the other projects I have lined up, baby, it's looking real good."

"Why didn't you tell me," I am nearly in hysterics.

"I don't think it's actually sunk in yet," he says to me in astonishment.

"Baby, this is so great," I leap in his arms and send him and me flying back on the bed. "We have to celebrate."

"Let's go out tonight," he asks me. "I'll grab a couple of my guys and invite Mia. We can go to The Mile High Club and give it a once over."

"Okay, great," I tell him excited.

"And what about us finding a place together," he asks me.

"That's a big commitment," I tell him.

"I'm ready to make it," he says seriously.

"I thought we were going to keep this private for a while," I remind him. "We can't really do that living together."

"We don't have to announce it to the world, but I don't want to hide the fact that we are together either," he says. "But if you're not ready."

"I'm ready," I tell him.

"Okay, good," he breaths a sigh of relief.

….

Elliot and I shower separately. Otherwise, he would have been very late for work.

"Hello," I answer my phone, putting on speaker as I drive to work.

"Okay," Laura says. "The American British Book Expo is going to be held in New York the same week we are to be there."

"You are like a pit bull that's had his first taste of blood," I tease her.

"In four years, you are just now figuring her out," Sage says to me. "I told you you were bizarre Lore."

"Oh shut up, both of you," Laura says. "Ana, all you have to do is convince your boss to let you attend, its brilliant."

"Okay, okay, email me the info," I tell her.

"Already done," she says.

"Are you bringing Elliot," Sage asks.

"I'll have to see if he can take time off," I tell them. "But I really want to."

"Yayyy," they both say together.

Turns out, Jack, my wonderful competent boss, was already aware and has made arrangement for me to be at the expo the entire week. Normally he attends but his wife, Jess, is expecting and he doesn't want to leave her for any length of time.

"Listen," he tells me as he sits in my office. "Just do what I do. Go to the expo a few days, make the contacts, meet the authors, then the rest of the time is yours. Heck, how often do we get to go to New York on someone else's dime? Am I right?"

"I, uh, yes, absolutely," I tell him, not sure what to say to that really.

He lets me get back to work and I send a group text to Sage and Laura, letting them know I am all set for New York."

I check my email just in case Christian approved his story, but I get nothing, so I decide to email him.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anastasia Steele

Subject: I need your approval

To: Christian Grey

on your story. I would really appreciate it, if I could get the go ahead today.

Anastasia Steele

Editor, SIP

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Christian Grey

Subject: Please see attached

To: Anastasia Steele

for my approval. I would like to see you tonight to apologize for my appalling behavior yesterday. Come to dinner with me. I will pick you up at eight.

Christian Grey

CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anastasia Steele

Subject: Sorry, I can't

To: Christian Grey

I'm going out with Elliot and his friends tonight. Thank you for your approval and your apology. I humbly accept both.

Anastasia Steele

Editor, SIP

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Christian Grey

Subject: Tell my brother

To: Anastasia Steele

You would rather hang out with me tonight instead of some seedy strip joint with him and his buds.

Christian Grey

CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Anastasia Steele

Subject: no way

To: Christian Grey

I'm really looking forward to it. Besides, it's your seedy club we are going to go look at. He's looking for ideas to make it more hip, so of course Mia and I are the go to girls. :) And anyway, Jen made it very clear that she does not approve of our friendship.

Anastasia Steele

Editor, SIP

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Christian Grey

Subject: Jen

To: Anastasia Steele

won't be a problem for us for much longer. Have a good time with my siblings tonight.

Christian Grey

CEO, Grey Enterprises Holdings, Inc.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don't even want to know what he means by that. I decide to focus instead on getting his story published so I can wash my hands of the whole damn thing.

...

Christian's POV

Taylor returned an hour ago from delivering Mr. Carlyle the incentive to sell me his GEH shares . According to Taylor, Carlyle was well beyond floored.

"I've never seen a man that pale and still with pulse, Sir," Taylor told me.

Now it's just a waiting game until he makes his move.

Fortunately for me I don't have to wait long because Andrea just buzzed saying the bastard was here. I tell her to assemble his team and have them wait outside for a meeting.

"Mr. Carlyle, do come in," I tell him. "To what do I owe this impromptu visit?"

"Don't shit me Christian," he says to me. "You know damn well what your henchmen just delivered. I was in a fucking board meeting. What if I would have dropped one of those damn photos? That would have been the end of me!"

"Have a seat, James," I tell him and he does.

"Well, you got my attention," he tells me. "What do you want?"

"I want your shares," I tell him.

"Are you still on that," he says trying and failing to act surprised. "I have given you what I promised you four years ago and you still want more."

"Bull," I tell him. "You haven't given me a damn thing. I worked my ass off for this company and I refuse to be lead around by your puppet strings. I'm sure you've already spoken to your legal team and I'm sure you know damn well those photos of you and that little boy weren't doctored. You don't have a leg to stand on right now, so stop bullshitting me and wasting both of our time."

"What the hell is this," he says getting up pacing. "I took you in when your own father washed his hands of you. I have welcomed you into my family like a son. Is this how you show your gratitude?"

"Yes," I say to him simply. "I'm giving you a chance to walk away from this with your dignity, your company, and your reputation intact. Sell me your shares and no one besides the two of us and your little play mate will have to know that you take pleasure in fucking little boys."

"He was seventeen," he shouts.

"I don't give a damn," I tell him. "You have marketed your company brand on wholesome family values, speaking out against the gay and lesbian community. How do you think this will play out? You have a wife and a daughter you need to think about."

"What about you, you sick son of a bitch," he counters. "Jen told me what you like to force her to do to get your kicks. You continue to pursue this and I will drag your ass down with me."

"You are seriously comparing the fact that I like to spank my girlfriend to you, a married man, fucking boys in the ass after you have spoke out so vehemently against it," I ask him. "And you don't think Jen enjoys it, take a look at this."

I cue up the video of Jen sucking me off and swallowing my huge load of cum. The video shows me from the waist down, but there in full view, is a naked and very aroused Jen enjoying our playtime last night.

"As you can see she's quite skilled," I tell him, ignoring his look of disgust. "I'm sure every porn site in America will pay top dollar to see my girl in action."

"You sick bastard," he explodes.

"Just sell me the shares and you and I will be done," I tell him. "No one has to get hurt over this."

"I'll be a silent partner, giving all control to you," he says trying to negotiate.

"Not good enough," I tell him. "I want to own it all. I've worked hard to build this company and I should reap the rewards."

"And what's my guarantee you won't come after me if I give it to you," he tells me.

"Carlyle Inc will be under the Grey umbrella," I tell him. "I would be shooting myself in the foot."

"I've taught you too well, haven't I," he sighs. "You'll have my shares first thing tomorrow morning."

"I'm afraid that won't do," I tell him.

"Andrea send in them in," I buzz her.

The look on James Carlyle's face is laughable when he sees the legal team and board members enter my large office.

In three hours time, it's done. I am now the sole owner of Grey Enterprise Holdings Inc. My first order of business was to of course fire the legal team, IT team, as well as the remaining memebers of the board. First thing tomorrow morning my own guys will start working for me and I will no longer have a board to answer to.

...

Elliot' POV

Ana, Mia, and I make our way through the door of TMHC, as Mia calls it. Christian has already informed the staff to let anyone from Grey Construction in with no question, so the guys should get in with no problem.

"Damn, Ana, you look hot," I tell her once again as we step into the Mile High Club and I get a look at her under the lights.

"You're pretty smoking yourself," she tells me.

"Oh stop it already," Mia says to us and we laugh.

Ana is dressed sexy as hell but, not at all sluty, in black skin tight pants a sparkly nude colored shirt and black studded ankle boots

Mia is even more conservative tonight, but I don't know how she can even breathe in that skin tight above the knee blue dress she must have had to paint on.

Thank fuck I don't have to worry about anything popping out of either of them in front of my guys. It was very considerate of them. Somehow I think Ana had a hand in what Mia is wearing tonight.

"Hey guys over here," I hear Tuck yell for us at a booth in the center of the room.

Of course they would want to be where the action is.

"I can't believe we are going to be working on this place," Tuck greets me excited.

"Ana, hey," he says to her kissing her quickly on the cheek.

"Hey Tuck," she says to him.

I make the introduction: Mike, The Muscle, Baker, is a body building motherfucker that can damn near smash a cinder block in half with his fist, and the twins, who don't really look like twins, Josh and Jared Parks, and of course, my best friend, Tucker Haggerty, who I've known since my first day of college.

Tuck takes one look at my baby sister and that's about all she wrote for the poor guy. I could see the hearts flashing in his eyes as he looked at her with that big sloppy grin of his. Can't say that I blame him, my little sis is adorable as fuck.

"OH MY GOD, ANA," I hear Kate squeal over the music, rushing up to my girl, so she can sit down.

Jesus Christ does she ever stay home?

"Hey Elliot, Hey guys," Kate says.

"Hey," everyone says to her in unison, between gulps of tequila.

"Ana you look great. Did Elliot tell you I was looking for you the other night?"

"Uh...no.…I mean yeah, yeah he did," Ana says to her.

"Come on guys let's dance," Mia says and everyone gets up to go out on the dance floor. Kate literally pushes me out of the way, takes Ana's hand and drags her off to dance. We over take the dance floor as we all spread out in our large group and start to move, pushing everyone else back.

Eventually, I wrestle Ana away from Kate and take her back to the booth to sit down. One of the twins, Josh, grabs Kate and begins to grind with her to the music.

"Thank you," I mouth to him when he catches my eye. He gives me a knowing nod.

"I think someone is in love," Ana says to me when I come back to the table with our drinks.

"Kate," I say.

"Nooo," she says to me and points with her chin, "Tuck and Mia."

I look over to see the two of them lost in their own world on the dance floor.

"Remind me to give him the hurt my little sister and I'll kick your ass talk later," I roll my eyes at them and Ana laughs.

"Mmmmmm, You smell good, babe," I tell her, leaning in to get a whiff of her neck.

"Elliot," she squeals. "What if Mia sees?"

"She's not seeing anything but Tuck right now," I tell her. ""So what if she does see us?"

"Okay then," she says and tilts her head to one side so I can sniff her.

...

Ana's POV

I leave Elliot, grab Mia and head off to the ladies' room.

"So you and Elliot huh," Mia says to me as we look ourselves over in the mirror.

"What do you mean," I say in surprise.

"He can't take his eyes off of you, Ana," She says to me. "He is head over heels and I can see you feel the same."

"Are you mad," I ask her.

"No way," she says. "I'm happy, are you kidding, my best friend and my brother in love. I always thought it would be my other brother, but..."

"That ship sailed four years ago," I tell her. "I know I spent most of my teen years pining for Christian, but I really do love Elliot, Mia."

"Anyone can see that," she says, laughing. "It's kinda quick though."

"Four years," I confess to her.

"FOUR," she yells out astonished. "Where the hell was I?"

"WSU," I tell her.

"Smartass," she says to me. "Does anyone else know about you two, does Christian know?"

I shake my head no.

"Listen, about Christian, Ana," she begins but stops when Kate comes into the private bathroom.

"There you are," she says to us.

"We were just coming out," Mia says to her.

"I'll be out in a minute, Mia," I tell her and she nods leaving us alone.

"Listen, Kate," I begin.

"Ana I know you're with Elliot," she tells me. "He told already told me to back off."

Oh Thank God

"But if you ever, ya know," she says. "Change your mind, give me a ring."

I simply nod and leave her to use the bathroom.

I catch Mia and Tuck right back at it as I make my way over to Elliot at the booth.

"Mia knows," I tell him and he nods.

"So does Kate," he tells me and I nod, "So nothings standing in our way now."

"Not a thing," I tell him happily.

...

Christian's POV

I breathe a sigh of relieve when I sit down in my home office chair after a hard day. I had to stay later than usual, sorting out GEH.

"Sir," Taylor enters my office. "Miss Carlyle just pulled up."

"Lock the elevator," I tell him, leaning my head against the headrest of my chair and closing my eyes. "I don't want to deal with her right now."

"It's already done, Sir," he informs me, pushing on the elevator remote control in his hand. "Sawyer also has some information on Miss Steele."

"Well," I say to him sitting up eager to know who this prick is she's giving my pussy to.

"It appears to be your brother Sir," Taylor reluctantly tells me.

"That's absurd," I tell him. "Why would he think that?"

"He observed them, along with your sister and a few others at The Mile High Club," he tells me.

"Yes, I am aware of that," I tell him. "Ana told me they were all checking out the place tonight."

"Sawyer says they were being very affectionate, Sir," Taylor says to me. "He is sure that Mr. Grey is the one."

"Of course they are affectionate," I sigh, unimpressed with this idiot's surveillance skills. "They have known each other for ten plus years. He's not the one. Tell him to move on."

"He has photos of them, Sir," Taylor persists. "Sawyer sent them to your email."

"Fine," I tell him uninterested. "I'll take a look at them later. In the mean time have him keep on her. That will be all Taylor."

He nods and quickly leaves the room.

My cell phone starts to blow up with Jen calling me.

On the eight call, I finally pick up.

"Christian," she breathes fire. "Please let me come up, I need to speak to you."

"There is nothing to say," I tell her. "We are done. I'll have your things packed up and delivered to your parent's home in the morning."

"Christian," she cries and I hang up on her before she can continue.

I am about to call it a night when I remember the photos I was suppose to look at.

I'm about to blow it off as tired as I am, but curiosity gets the better of me and I click on Sawyer's email.

I can understand why Sawyer would think Elliot was the prick boyfriend, they are pretty cozied up at the table. Elliot even looks like he's smelling her neck.

"Taylor," I call him and he answers on the first ring.

"Where is Miss Steele now," I ask him, hoping she's at home.

"Miss Steele is at your brother's apartment Sir," Taylor says to me. "They arrived about forty minutes ago and they are alone."

"Thank you Taylor," I tell him hanging up.

That doesn't mean a damn thing. She's stayed over his house enough times. She's also stayed over mine enough times. 

Suddenly that awful night of the Elliot, Ana, and Kate threesome comes in my head with a vengeance. I grab my keys and make my way to the elevator.

"Sir," Taylor says to me curious.

"I'm going over my brother's, alone," I tell him.

"But Sir," he protests. "That will be all for tonight, Taylor."

He nods at me, mad enough to spit nails, and goes back into his living quarters.

I rev up my new shiny black Audi R8 Spyder and head over to El's apartment, feeling ridiculously stupid that I am allowing myself to go on this wild goose chase. I really need to fire this damn incompetent Luke Sawyer for putting this dumb shit in my head. No way in hell it's Elliot. No fucking way in hell.


	15. FUCK!

Chapter 15

FUCK!

...

Elliot's POV

I open the front door of my apartment and catch Ana as she stumbles in.

"My feet are freaking killing me," she says, while her heels go flying somewhere in the dimly lit living room, as she kicks them off.

"Come on babe," I tell Ana as I take her hand and lead her into the bedroom. The sooner I get you showered the sooner I get to have my way with you in bed.

She giggles as she walks ahead of me on wobbly legs.

"Do you think I'm going to need some of that pickle junk," she says to me as she stands facing me in the shower. I sponge her clean, paying special attention to all of her lovely woman parts.

"No, you just got a strong buzz," I tell her. "But I'll leave some Advil and water by your side of the bed just in case."

"Okay," she says.

...

Christian's POV

I am about to call it a night when I remember the photos I was suppose to look at.

I'm about to blow it off as tired as I am, but curiosity gets the better of me and I click on Sawyer's email.

I can understand why Sawyer would think Elliot was the prick boyfriend, they are pretty cozied up at the table. Elliot even looks like he's smelling her neck.

"Taylor," I call him and he answers on the first ring.

"Where is Miss Steele now," I ask him hoping she's at home.

"Miss Steele is at your brother's apartment Sir," Taylor says to me. "They arrived about forty minutes ago and they are alone."

"Thank you Taylor," I tell him hanging up.

That doesn't mean a damn thing. She's stayed over his house enough times. She's also stayed over mine enough times. 

Suddenly that awful night of the Elliot, Ana, and Kate threesome comes in my head with a vengeance. I grab my keys and make my way to the elevator.

"Sir," Taylor says to me curious.

"I'm going over my brother's, alone," I tell him.

"But Sir," he protests. "That will be all for tonight, Taylor."

He nods at me, mad enough to spit nails, and goes back into his living quarters.

I rev up my new shiny black Audi R8 Spyder and head over to El's apartment, feeling ridiculously stupid that I am allowing myself to go on this wild goose chase. I really need to fire this damn incompetent Luke Sawyer for putting this dumb shit in my head. No way in hell it's Elliot. No fucking way in hell.

...

Elliot's POV

We dry off and I help her slip on her little light green baby doll night gown that gives me easy access to her by having a slit I can open up the front.

"Did you have a good time tonight babe," I ask her as she settles into her usual spot on my chest.

"Mhm, I really did," she says. "I like your friends. Mia does too I think."

"Oh yes she does," I laugh, "one friend in particular."

"Does that really bother you," she asks me.

"Not really," I tell her honestly, "Tucks a great guy. I'm glad Mia is okay with us too, by the way. She's probably already blabbed to the rest of my family, especially my bonehead of a baby brother."

"Well," I Ana begins. "I'm not sure Christian will be as open to us as Mia was."

"Why not," I ask her.

"The other day I was over there and he was acting a bit weird," She tells me.

"What do you mean weird," I ask her.

"I'm positive it was just the affects of too much drinking and his sense of wanting to protect me…" She says.

"What did he do, Ana," I ask her, getting frustrated.

"He overheard me talking to you on the phone and he didn't like it," she tells me.

"He didn't know it was me," I tell her, "I probably wouldn't have liked it either if I'd heard you talking that way."

"He told me to break up with my boyfriend so that he and I can be together," she blurts out.

"Where the hell did this come from all of a sudden," I ask her, finding it hard to get my head around Christian's behavior.

"According to him, he's had feeling for me for a while," she says.

"How long is a while," I ask her, knowing that she is glossing over their conversation.

"Well," she says. "The whole time I had a crush on him."

"But he's been with Jen," I hear myself say and it sounds stupid to my own ears because I know he doesn't love her and now I know he didn't even love her back then.

"That's what I said," she tells me.

"What else did you say," I ask her.

"What do you mean," she asks me. "Of course I set him straight, Elliot."

"Ana, listen to me…" I begin.

"No," she says scooting up away from me so that her back is resting on the headboard. "I won't listen to this again. This is why I waited to tell you."

"Are you telling me that wasn't music to your ears, knowing that he's been feeling the same way you have all these years," I accuse her. "Ana, if I wasn't in the picture, or better yet, if I hadn't told you how I felt about you the night we made love, where would you be right now? We both know with Christian."

"No," she tells me, and she is so pissed off right now that I feel the need to scoot back a little. "I would be living on the east coast with Sage and Laura. The only reason I came back to Seattle was for YOU, not Christian, not even my own mother. I can't believe you right now. I cannot FUCKING believe you right now!"

She sits refusing to look at me, with her arms crossed over her chest. Her right leg is crossed over the left while its foot shakes from barely checked anger.

"You came back here for me," I ask her in complete surprise. She looks at me and sighs, letting go of her anger.

"Yes," she confesses. "I came back to fight for us. I never stopped loving you."

"I'm sorry, babe" I whisper to her as I lay her gently on the bed and begin to pepper her skin with kisses. Her moaning causes me to become instantly hard. My erection is being moistened by her arousal as I lay naked on top of her. "I love you so much."

"Show me," she whispers back at me.

She inhales deeply at the feel of me sliding into her. God, I love the feel of her.

"I would have come for you, Banana, as soon as things were right with me," I tell her. "I wouldn't have let you go."

She grabs my hair in the back of my head with one hand and pulls me in for a kiss. She presses her lips into mine as she cums. I moan out her name and cum a heartbeat behind her.

...

Christian's POV

As I make my way up to Elliot's front door, I try to think of a good excuse as to why I would drive over here instead of just call him. I finally leave it up to me wanting to spend some bro time with him. It's as good an excuse as any. I can always throw in me and Jen breaking up for drama.

I knock on the door several times but there is no answer. I put my ear to the door, but I don't hear any signs of him being home. I'm about to give up, thinking maybe this idiot Sawyer got it wrong, when I remember the spare key El always has taped in the slit at the bottom of his door. I bend down and run my fingers along the width of the door until I feel it.

Why the fuck am I doing this? I should really just go home. I know that I am being utterly ridiculous.

I internally chastise myself as I find the key. I open the door expecting to find El and Ana too engrossed in some movie to have heard me knocking or maybe passed out drunk together on the sofa from being at the Mile High Club tonight. But they are nowhere to be found in the living room .

They are probably sleeping it off in the bedroom.

I decide to just go have a look and make sure they are okay. I wouldn't want them to die of alcohol poison or choke on their own vomit. I would never forgive myself if anything like that happened.

Maybe I should have Taylor bring them over some pickle juice in the morning. I think to myself absentmindedly as I make my way down to the bedroom.

And that's when I hear it: Ana's giggle. It sounds much too inappropriate, almost naughty in nature. It leaves me cold and makes my heart palpitate in my chest. My breathing becomes labored. I am on the verge of having a damn panic attack or heart attack or something much worse if I continue on.

But why, it's just a giggle. My clown of a brother is always making people laugh, especially Ana. It doesn't mean a damn thing.

I should just go home before I embarrass us all. I will go. I will go home in just a minute. I will turn around and go right home, have a stiff drink and get into bed.

Who the fuck am I kidding? I ask myself as I turn the door knob and slowly open the bedroom door.

It only takes a moment for it to all happen, but I stand for what seems like a lifetime transfixed on the tender scene playing out before me.

"How does that feel, babe," Elliot asks Ana.

He is at the foot of the bed facing away from me, looking at her while he messages her feet. Her beautiful tits and just fucked pink glistening pussy are laid out bare before him as her light green nightgown is unashamedly opened.

"Mmmm, much better," she sighs, obviously enjoying the loving attention he is giving her. I catch my breath when she giggles again as he kisses each of her cute little toes and the soles of both her soft pale feet.

Leave Grey! Get the fuck out of here before they see you! I scream at myself, but I am rooted to the spot.

The overwhelming smell of freshly made sex is invading my senses. Her arousal being mixed with his is cloying and I try hard not to regurgitate right here on my big brother's bedroom floor.

Ana's eyes go wide in surprise as she gasps in horror upon seeing me. Her reaction causes Elliot to become alarmed and he quickly turns to face me. Ana instinctively reaches for something to cover herself.

"What the hell, Christian," Elliot yells at me and I get a strange sense of déjà vu. But this time he is the one that covers Ana, not me. Fuck he is protective of her this time. Jesus Christ, Sawyer was right, he is the one.

"Wait for me in the fucking living," Elliot yells.

Like a disobedient dog that has just been reprimanded, I turn tail and walk out the room.

In the few seconds it takes me to get to the living room, my head fills with memories of my own words, slapping me in the face.

"I can't fucking believe what I just walked in and heard Ana say. Not only is she fucking some jackass but she LOVES him! No way in hell is that going to fucking last baby, You. Are. Mine!"

Was it Elliot on the phone?

"If Jen hadn't come home, I may very well have dragged Ana into my playroom and had my way with her until she forgot all about that limp dick she calls a boyfriend."

Christ no, it can't be him, can it?

"I need to make her think I am on her side while I put seeds of doubt in her head about this so called boyfriend. And when she is vulnerable, I'll make my move. I am going to find this bastard one way or another and make him regret the day he ever touched what's mine."

No it's not Elliot, this was just some fucked up one night stand. This is just a result of too much fucking alcohol. She is fucking cheating on her boyfriend. I know it's not Elliot. How could it have been Elliot? He would have told me. She would have told me.

"Christian what the heck are you doing here," Elliot comes in to the room with his pajama pants on. Ana is a step behind him in a sexy hot pink satin robe. Why the hell does she have that here? It surely doesn't go with the her gown.

"What am I doing here," I spit out. "What the hell is she doing here?"

"Christian, you barged into my apartment," Elliot points out matter of factly. "I don't have to explain myself to you this time. Now, did something happen? It's not like you to just show up."

"This isn't the boyfriend you were confessing your love to is it, Ana," I look past Elliot to talk to her. "No, you would have told me if it was my own fucking brother!"

"Christian," Ana starts.

"So who is he," I demand to know, "the poor bastard that he is. I can't believe I am feeling sorry for the guy."

"Christian, what the hell are doing, Bro," Elliot asks me.

It's called saving face, big brother. It's me trying to get out of here with some kind of dignity intact after my heart has just been ripped out of my chest by the two of you.

"Did you even know she had a boyfriend, El," I ask him. "Hell you got farther than I did with her. She shot me down cold right after I bared my soul to her."

"Christian, please don't do this," Ana begs me with a look of pity that only serves to piss me off.

I look at her with her pleading eyes, her glossy skin and her just fucked hair in that damn sexy robe she's wearing for HIM. Images of her fucking Elliot suddenly invade my mind and my temper explodes on her.

"Fuck, I thought Jen was bad," I lash out at her. "Were you always such a lying deceptive SLUT?"

I should have seen it coming.

The next thing I know Ana is screaming, I am knocked flat on my ass with a busted lip, and Elliot is being held back by Taylor.

Where the hell did he come from? 

The breeze from the now open front door is giving me a chill as it circulates the air through the room.

"Let him go, Taylor," I order him as I get up off the floor.

Damn after all these years my big brother can still knock me on my ass when I deserve it.

"Get him the fuck out of here, Taylor," Elliot hisses. Taylor grabs me and ushers me out the door.

Just before he closes the front door, I glance over his shoulder to see Elliot comforting a very scared and distraught Ana.

"Sssshhhh, its okay, baby," he croons out. He is rubbing his hands up and down her back holding her while she cries in his arms.

What the fuck did I just do?

"Let go of me Taylor," I order him, but he pays me no mind as he pushes me into the back of his Audi SUV. "I need to talk to Ana."

"I don't think that would be a wise move, Sir," he tells me bluntly. "Miss. Steele would not welcome the intrusion right now. It would be in your best interest to wait until cooler heads prevail."

I reluctantly nod and he drives us back to Escala.

"Where the fuck did you come from," I ask him.

"Sawyer called me," he says. "He advised me of the…situation and I thought it best to come down just in case."

Just in case I fucked up, which I did. I wince in pain and swallow the blood that keeps pooling inside my mouth.

By the time we make it home I am seething with anger for Ana and Elliot. Why would the keep this from me? DAMN HER! I told her how I felt about her and she didn't bother to mention the fact that she was fucking my own brother! FUCK!FUCK!FUCK! How fucking serious is this shit with them?

I head to my home office and pour myself a glass of whiskey and sit at my desk.

Fuck it! I don't give fuck how fucking serious it is. Why does he get to have her? She is MINE! He stole her from me without as much as a second thought. He's doing the same shit he did when we were kids, always taking what's mine. He's always been the favorite. Always getting everything he wants handed to him and now he gets to be with mine. Fucking BASTARD! Well not this time Big brother.

I down the liquor and pick up the phone.

"Ros," I call her. I hear her shushing a moaning female voice in the background.

Fuck is everybody but me getting laid tonight?

"Yes, Sir, boss," she says trying to sound normal.

"I need everything on Grey Construction," I tell her.

"Why is it in trouble," she asks.

Not yet.

"Just get to me as soon as you can," I tell her.

"No problem, I'll have it by tomorrow afternoon," she says. "By the way it's a go with SIP. Roach damn near had an orgasm over the amount you offered him to sell. It should be done by the month's end."

"Good," I tell her and hang up.

"What," I say to Elliot as I pick up my cell phone answering his call.

"We need to talk," he tells me coldly

"Damn right we do," I tell him.

"I'll stop by your office after work," he tells me.

"How is Ana," I ask him and he hangs up on me without an answer.

"What," I yell angrily into my ringing phone.

"Christian, what on earth has gotten into you," my mom scolds me.

"Forgive me mom," I ask her. "I thought you were Elliot."

"I'm not sure if that's a good thing either," she says sounding tired.

"Is something wrong, mom," I ask her, worried.

"Well dear, I just finished calming down a very distraught Jennifer," she tells me.

"Mom…" I begin

"Christian, I sent her over to speak to you," she tells me. "Please let her in and break things off with her the right way. Otherwise she'll come back her upset all over again and I don't want her burdening your father with this when he gets home from work."

"Work," I say, checking the clock on my computer, "It's well after midnight, and he's still working."

"Yes, dear," she says sadly. "He has a big case he's preparing for and it is keeping him at work very late. He's tired when he gets home and the last thing he needs to deal with is your ex girlfriend, so please end things with her properly, before you send her on her way."

"Of course, I will mom," I tell her. "I'm sorry she disturbed you."

"I love you dear," she tells me. "I'm glad you are moving in the right direction when it comes to your love life. There is a sweet girl out there for you, I am sure of it."

"I love you mom," I tell her. "Try and get some rest please."

I give the okay for Taylor to let Jen in, but I stay in my office for a good hour trying to calm myself down to no avail.

Finally I give up and go in search of Jen. I am not at all surprised to find the little manipulator striped down and in position in the playroom.

"You had to go involve my mother in this shit," I yell at her with barely controlled anger.

"You involved my father, Christian," she tells me boldy. I know that she is just goading me, but my body can't help but respond to her all the same.

"Let's get something straight Jen," she screams out in pain as I pull the back of her hair forcing her to look at me. "Your father involved you. He has been using me to keep you happy and off his cock for years."

"Fuck you," she cries.

"You don't want to play this game with me tonight, Jen," I warn her. "I won't be very forgiving. You need to go. And don't bother my mother again."

"I won't go," she says firmly.

"Jesus Christ, have some dignity," I yell, disgusted with her. "I don't love you! I never have! It was always just fucking, Jen! You were a good lay and if I was to do this with you tonight that is all it would be and when I was done using you, I would toss your ass out of here! Now just go!"

"I won't go," she says again looking me defiantly in the eyes.

"You are fucking crazy," I sneer at her in anger.

"Isn't that what you need right now," she taunts me. And damn I do need it very badly right now.

"This won't lead to anything good," I tell her, my dick painfully hard in my pants.

"Just go easy on my ass," she shrugs. "It's still bruised."

"Is that a hard limit," I breathe out at her.

"No Sir," she says, giving me the extra push over the edge I need.

I put my hands around the front of her neck and lift her up on her feet.

"The ass it is then," I tell her.

I throw her and she lands on the bed. I flip her over and pull her ass up so that it is in the air. Not even bothering to take off my pants, I unzip them, pull my dick out and plow into her pussy from behind.

"Aw fuck, you're so wet," I moan out in pleasure as I hit her hard on the ass with the palm of my hand.

The sight of her bared down biting into the pillow to keep from screaming is my undoing and I cum hard.

I pull out, undo my belt, coil it around my hand, and spank her with it. She cries out with every hit. I can't tell if it is in pleasure or in pain and to be honest I don't really give a fuck. I take out the nights frustrations out on her until my anger subsides and a sense of euphoria takes over me.

I see Jen's bruised ass turn a hot pink reminding me of the sexy satin robe Ana wore for Elliot. Jen becomes Ana and I strike her over and over again, punishing her for betraying me with my brother.

I drop the belt and push my cock into Ana's dripping wet pussy and ram her hard over and over again.

"Does he fuck you this good, Ana," I demand to know. "Does my brother get you this wet?"

"No, no, he is nothing like you, Sir," I hear Ana say and it tips me happily over the edge.

"Oh fuck yes, Ana, FUCK,"I moan loudly as I cum long and hard grabbing hold of her ass to keep her still. I pull my dick out of her, tuck it back in my pants and walk out of the playroom.

I make my way to my bedroom and collapse, stated and satisfied, on my bed.

"FUCK, Ana what are you doing to me?


	16. Own Your Shit.

Haunted By You

Chapter 16

Own Your Shit.

...

Elliot's POV

I wake to the feel of Ana's soft breasts caressing my chest as she reaches over me to turn off my alarm.

"Headache, babe," I ask her. She shakes her head no. She hasn't said much since I kicked my brother out last night.

"You," she asks me. "How's your hand?"

"I'm okay, Banana," I whisper to her as she kisses my knuckles again.

"Here," she says to me placing a bed tray table across my legs as she sits with her legs across mine.

"When did you make breakfast," I mumble with my mouth full as we dig into cream cheese filled croissants, bacon, fluffy egg whites, and strawberries. I love when she cooks for me.

"About fifteen minutes ago," she says between a bite of bread and a sip of tea. I wanted to make sure you eat something besides sugar cereal."

"You know sugar helps me get going in the morning," I tell her.

"Yeah, going towards insulin dependency," she says and I laugh.

"This coming from a girl who eats syrupy pancakes for breakfast," I tease her.

"Now that's different," she says.

"How so," I ask her.

"Pancakes are too good to be bad for you," she rationalizes.

"Whatever you say, sweet cheeks," I tell her.

"Okay, smarty pants, let's make a deal," she says. "I'll give up pancakes for a week if you give up eating marshmallow cereal."

"You are cutting me to the quick woman," I tell her. "What's in it for me?"

"If you win, then I'll play that stupid Xbox game you like so much," she tells me.

"Hey, Call Of Duty is serious, not stupid," I correct her.

"Whatever," she says.

"And if you win," I ask her.

"Then you come to New York with me next month," she tells me.

"New York," I say in surprise.

"Yup," she says. "I'm going to visit Sage and Laura and they really want to meet you."

"They do," I ask again in surprise and she rolls her eyes at me.

"Of course," she says. "I only spent every other minute crying or talking about you while I was away."

"I made you cry," I ask her feeling like shit.

"You can't be serious," she says. "I thought you dumped me without as much as a kiss my ass or I hate you goodbye. Yes it made me cry. We are getting off topic now."

"Ana," I begin.

"Elliot," she interrupts not wanting to talk about it and I drop it.

"So, New York huh," I get back on topic, "to meet two girls who know me as the guy that made their best friend cry. Should I pack a jockstrap?"

"Definitely," Ana giggles. "Wait, so if I win the bet, you'll go?"

"I'll go even if you don't win the bet, Banana," I tell her.

"Really," she squeals. "You won't get in trouble with work?"

"Not at all," I reassure her. "Leaving Tuck in charge for a week won't cause too much damage."

"Yayyy," she says excited and I'm happy I can make her feel better. "I love you so much."

"Come shower with me," I tell her.

"You sure we have enough time," she tells me as I take her hand, lead her into the bathroom and turn on the shower.

"I just need ten minutes, baby," I tease her.

I watch as the water wets her hair and cascades down her body. I am already about to cum.

"Make that five," I tell her as I lift her up. She wraps her legs around my waist and I slide into her.

"Oh GOD," she breaths out as I slam into her, splashing warm water all around us, "you feel so good."

She screams my name as she cums and I follow behind her, emptying everything I have inside of her warm wet pussy.

We stand under the water as we catch our breath. She un-wraps her legs and I hold her until she becomes steady on her feet.

"Best damn five minutes of my life," she says as I sponge her down.

"You got that right," I growl into her neck, making her giggle.

…..

"Tuck, you okay man," I ask him as I walk up the ramp to the onsite office.

"Yeah," he says walking next to me, yawning and sipping on coffee. "Just need a little bit more of this in me and I'll be fine."

"Rough night," I ask him as we enter the office.

"I was out with Mia," he says sheepishly.

"Out or in," I say half assed defensively.

"Aw damn El, seriously," Tuck says insulted. "I like Mia. You know I wouldn't hurt her. El, you are my best friend and if this is going to be a problem for us let me know and I will stop seeing her. But let me know now because I am really falling for her El and soon it will be too hard to give her up."

"We're cool," I tell him honestly. "I just wanted to hear you say that."

"I mean it," he says seriously. "That should have gone without saying."

"I know, give me break okay," I tell him. "Ana just took away my morning cereal for a week."

"Oh shit, I better warn the guys," Tuck says.

"I'm fine," I tell him.

"Yeah, right now," he says. "But I may call in sick tomorrow."

"Screw you, I'm not that bad," I laugh.

"You are addicted to that shit," Tuck says. "Ever since college, if you went more than a day without it, you were hell to be around."

"Well Ana's making me breakfast and I'm feeling pretty good," I tell him.

"I'm glad she's looking out for you," he tells me. "I like her El, she's seems good for you. She's mellowed you out."

"She really has," I tell him. "But I'll still kick your ass though, especially if you hurt my sister."

"You are a real jackass sometimes," he laughs at me.

"Yeah well talk to me when it's your sister," I yell after him as he leaves the office.

…

Ana's POV

"Yes, I can't wait," Sage says when I tell her that Elliot is coming to New York with me. "I may have a surprise for you when you get here."

"What is it," I ask her, eager to know.

"I know your were just a lit major, Annie," she teases me, calling me the nickname I hate. "But I hope you would have learned the definition of surprise."

"Bitch," I call her jokingly and hang up on her.

I pull into my space at SIP and look at my phone to see the text that just came in. I laugh when I see Sage's I love you with a sad face next to it.

I walk into SIP and the place is a buzz. Everyone has their heads together in whispers.

"Hannah, what's going on," I ask her when she walks with me in my office.

"Do you remember the rumor about Mr. Roach wanting to sell SIP," she asks me.

I nod at her. There was mention, when I first started, of Jerry Roach, the owner of SIP wanting to sell the company because he'd lost interest in publishing. I know it must be true because I have yet to meet the man. Never has he stepped foot in SIP since I've been working here.

"Well," she continues, "he's gone and done it. By the end of the month SIP will be owned by someone else.

"Who," I ask her.

"No one knows yet," she says. "Rumor has it, its some hard ass though from some big name publishing company that just wants to swallow us up. We may all be out of work soon."

"Crap," I say as my heart sinks. I finally got my dream job and now I may lose it.

"We should start looking for work now," Hannah panics.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves over a rumor," I tell her. "Let's wait and find out who the owner is. But let's just freshen up or resumes, just in case."

She nods in agreement.

"Ana, Hannah, Hey," Jack comes into my office.

"Good morning, Mr. Hyde," Hannah says. "I was just leaving."

"Jack," he calls after her.

"Have a nice day, Jack," she says leaving us alone.

"I read that story on Christian Grey," he tells me. "Great job with that. I met him once and he is wound tight as a drum. How the heck did you get him to open up about all of that?"

I shrug being lost for words.

"I think you missed your calling," he tells me. "Anyway, I'm sure it's gotten to you that good ole Roach sold the joint."

"It has," I tell him curiously. "Do we now to whom?"

"Nope," he says. "Roach is being real tight lipped about it. I can't even get it out of him. I still can't believe the bastard actually sold it."

He gets up and heads for the door.

"Anyway, I just wanted to say a job well done. We are already getting calls from bookstores," he says opening the door. "And don't let this shit get to you. We'll find out who our new boss is soon enough."

"Right," I say to him, "talk to you later Jack."

"Later," he says with a wave reminding me of Elliot.

My mind flashes to him and Christian last night. I have rarely seen Elliot so angry and never at Christian or any of his family for that matter. It's usually at someone being an asshole and I guess Christian did qualify last night. I still feel responsible. This is exactly what Elliot and I were trying to avoid, everything getting messy because we are together.

…

"El, I don't think this is a good idea," I tell him when he informs me that he is going to see Christian after work. I give up multitasking at my desk to focus on our conversation.

"It needs to be handled, Banana," he tells me. "You know my brother as well as I. Shit like this is dangerous if it sits in his head for too long. He needs to know that he will not disrespect you, no matter how hurt he is."

"He was just acting out…" I tell him in his defense.

"I don't give a damn," he tells me. "He is a spoiled brat who thinks he is entitled to whatever he wants. He always has been. Now forget about him, babe. My mom wants to do a family dinner Sunday."

"It's been a while since I've been to one of those," I tell him. "Wont it be awkward if Christian is there?"

"He's going to have to accept us together," he says. "I don't want to rub it in his face, but I'm not going to hide from him either. What do you say?"

"Okay, lets do it," I tell him. "Tell her I will bring desert."

"Will do," he says.

…..

CPOV

"Do you have the information I asked for," I ask Ros as she comes into my office. I've just returned from a lunch meeting with board members of a new company I am thinking about acquiring. They seem willing to deal and it is a great opportunity to make money for all involved.

"Right here in my hand," she says shaking the folder and sitting down. "I have to hand it to your brother. He is doing an amazing job with his company."

"Is he now," I say.

My temper has cooled down dramatically since last night. I must admit Jen really helped me out in the playroom. I feel like shit though, using her and calling her Ana. I didn't even realize I had done it until she called me on it this morning as she packed her stuff and left. I was surprised she didn't put up much of fight. I guess me calling another girl's name out while fucking her finally hit home that my feelings for her are long gone.

"Absolutely," Ros says. "You should be proud of him, boss. He really doesn't need your help. Grey Construction is already a force to be reckoned with. Did you know he won the bid for the Concert Hall, hell that is a feat in itself."

"How much would it cost for us to take it over," I ask her.

"But there is no need," she says to me confused as she hands me her projections. "I wouldn't lie to you about your own bother needing our help. He is doing fantastic. He brought that company back from the ashes and made it stronger. The amount of work and dedication that must have taken him is poetry inspiring. I guess it must run in the blood with you two."

I look at her findings that she has put on a spread sheet. There in black and white you can see all of the hard work Elliot did to get his company going strong again. I remember how devastated he was when he had to let it go. He was in a deep depression for months. Mom and Dad were so worried about him, so was I, if I am honest with myself. They actually thought he would try and hurt himself, but damn if he didn't turn it all around.

"He is a Grey, through and through," I tell her, feeling a sense of pride as I look over his accomplishments. Pride is followed by a pang of guilt as I think about trying to rip what he's worked so hard to gain away from him. "Check in on it from time to time Ros and let me know if it gets in trouble again. My brother is a proud man and he would never ask anyone for help."

"Well, I can understand pride," she says leaving. "He is your brother, after all."

"Yes he is," I say to myself after she's gone.

Jesus, what the fuck is wrong with me? How could I even think about destroying my own flesh and blood brother over a girl? A girl that has made it clear she doesn't even want me. I need to get my head on straight. I am not right.

…..

"Mr. Grey, your brother is here to see you," Andrea informs me.

"Send him in," I tell her.

I sit at my desk and try to collect myself as Elliot walks in and looks around.

"Damn," he says to me. "I will never get use to this place."

"I offered you an office space," I remind him.

"I just may take you up on that, whenever you stop being a selfish prick," he tells me. "What the hell was that last night, Christian?"

"I'm sure Ana told you by now how I feel about her," I tell him.

"And calling her a slut," he chastises me, "accusing her of being worse than Jen."

"I'm sorry, okay," I tell him truthfully. "You both know I don't mean that shit. I was hurt. I love that girl. I've loved her for a long time and then you just come in a snatch her right from under me. How was I supposed to feel?"

"Stop rewriting history, and own your shit," he tells me. "Ana and I have been involved for over four damn years. During that time you never gave her a second thought. Growing up you never gave her any kind of thought. You knew damn well she loved you, but you only saw her as the housekeeper's chubby little daughter…."

"You don't know how the fuck I felt," I tell him. "And are you seriously standing there telling me you were with her for four fucking years and you never said a word to me about it?"

"It was complicated little brother," he tells me. "I wasn't exactly in the best way for most of those years, if you'll recall."

"You had mom and dad, like always," I spit at him.

"What the hell does that supposed to mean," he asks me. "I was a fucking wreck!"

"I was a wreck too," I tell him. "When I dropped out of Harvard, I was a fucking mess and dad turned his back on me, but he supported you. He threw me out."

"Dad was a bastard for doing that and I told him so," he tells me. "But Christian, he had no idea the reason you left school. He thought you just blew it off. He would have done that to me and Mia too if we would have just dropped out of school. If you would have told him about your girlfriend dying, he would have reacted differently. You always do that shit."

"What," I yell.

"Expect us to read your damn mind," I tell him. "I had to fucking pry it out of you and then you made me promise not to tell anyone."

"I didn't want anyone feeling sorry for me," I tell him.

"How about giving people the chance to help you and to care about you," he asks me. "You keep shit so bottled up inside of you until it explodes out in the most destructive ways. You get mad at us for not being there for you, but you won't let us be. You get mad at me for falling in love with Ana, but you never told me or her that you loved her. It was always the opposite."

Fuck he loves her!

"This coming from you," I try to deflect him. "I tried to help you get GC back up and running, but you wouldn't let me."

"I'm not talking about work, Christian," he tells me, not letting me get away with it.

We stand there starring at each other like we did when we were kids and like when we were kids, I fold to my big brother.

"I know you're not," I tell him in defeat. "I just never felt like a fit in with dad, El. It's like he's not even my parent."

"Well," he sighs at my confession. "He's not, biologically. We love mom and dad like they are and they love us like we are, but we don't have their DNA and some of the things we do aren't going to be like them."

"What do you mean," I ask him confused.

"Well, look at me and building things," he tells. "Mom and dad can't put a puzzle together."

I laugh at the truthfulness of his words. El, Mia, and I would spend hours impatiently waiting for mom and dad to figure out how to put our toys together on Christmas mornings. Usually they'd give up. Elliot started doing it when he was old enough.

"Dad told me once, that our real dad was good at doing that and that's probably where I got it from," he continues. "Some of the things you feel and do may be because of our birth parents. We don't have to be the same to love each other. Mom and dad know that. They love you Christian. They don't want you to be something you're not to try and fit in."

"I thought if I was good in business, and if I had money and power, I would fit in with dad," I confess to him.

"You don't like this," he says motioning around.

"I like it," I tell him. "I'm good at it and it comes naturally to me, but it's not very... fulfilling, I guess."

"Is that why you act like a jerk all the time," he asks me and I shrug.

"I really don't know why El," I tell him. "I broke up with Jen and I finally got control of GEH. I thought I would be on top of the world but it's just a hollow victory."

"You need to figure your shit out, Christian," he tells me. "You need to talk to somebody."

"I'm talking to you" I point out.

"I'm glad that you are. Can you also do it with a professional," he says. "Do you remember how messed up I was? You all were worried and rightfully so. Mom gave me the name of a Psychologist…"

"You want me to see a quack doctor," I ask him.

"Well gee, thanks," he says insulted.

"I didn't mean you were a quack," I tell him honestly.

"Christian, he really helped me figure my shit out and I know he can do the same for you," he encourages me to take the business card he's holding out to me. "Just try, if you don't like it, don't go back."

"I'll think about it," I tell him taking the card. "No promises."

"Listen, about me and Ana," he begins. "I knew she loved you and that's why I hesitated to tell her how I felt about her. If I'd have known you loved her too, I never would have pursued her."

"I know," I tell him. "I don't know why I waited so long to tell her." I do know. It's because I needed the Carlyle's. It's because loving Ana did nothing for me professionally. El's right, I am a selfish prick.

"Christian, I just can't not…" he tries to find the words to tell me he can't give her up.

"I know, El," I tell him, helping him out. "You're right. I need to figure out my shit. I wouldn't be any good to her now anyway."

"Is...this...am I going to lose my little brother over this," he asks me. I can see he is hurt over the thought of losing me for loving Ana and I don't much like the thought either after all.

"No," I tell him the truth. "But fair warning, big brother, if you fuck up and hurt her, I'm going to take my shot."

"Fair enough," he tells me. Relief washes over his face.

"I was planning to get you back, you know," I confess. "I was so fucking pissed at you last night."

"I know," he tells me. "That's why I'm here. I didn't want that shit in your head. You're like a mad scientist drunk with power. Even when we were kids, you would plot for days on how to get back at someone who screwed you over. You remember Ralphie Santana?"

"Hey nobody takes what's mine," I tell him.

"It was a goddamn slice of pizza, Christian," he reminds me. Ralphie, who was at our house for sleep over, waited until my back was turned and stole my pizza from my plate.

"I was hungry," I say. "And it was mine."

"He smelled like skunk piss for three days straight," he tells me and I laugh at the memory of trapping the skunk and putting it in his bedroom. Mom and Dad where so pissed at me.

"Ana's worried that this is going to get awkward between the three of us," he tells me.

"Awkward, hell yes," I tell him. "But out of control to where I am a complete prick, no. I can be the bigger man."

"The bigger man, huh," he says catching my meaning and I grin. "The jury's still out on that baby bro."

Elliot leaves after I give him my word not to give Ana anymore of my bullshit. I agree because I know she doesn't deserve my shit.

I sit at my desk until late afternoon looking at the card Elliot gave me. If he got Elliot through his shit, maybe he could help me figure out what my problem is. I doubt his office is still open, but I call the doctor just in case.

"Dr. John Flynn's office how may I help you," the pleasant sounding woman answers on the second ring.

"Yes, I would like to make an appointment to see the doctor," I tell her.

"Are you a new client, Sir," she asks me.

"I want to be," I tell her. Dr. Flynn was recommended by a former client of his, Elliot Grey. I'm his brother, Christian Grey."

She put me on hold to confirm with her boss.

"Mr. Grey," she says coming back on the line. "Dr. Flynn can see you tomorrow at ten a.m. if you like or if you'd prefer the afternoon...?"

"Ten a.m. is fine," I tell her. "Thank you."

...

Grace's POV.

I sigh as I hear Cary coming up the stairs to our room. I sit up and check the time. Its two a.m. and he is just now coming home. He is working too hard and I am starting to worry about him.

"Grace why are you still up," he says coming into our room looking at me with surprise and what seems like guilt.

"I was waiting up to talk to you," I tell him. "We haven't really talked in so long. You are never home and I miss you. I miss my husband."

"I know," he tells me, looking away. "I'm sorry, dear. This case is just proving more difficult than I originally thought it would. I thought I would be done with it by now, but I seem to be unable to end it. I didn't think you would worry."

"Of course I worry. But I should be more understanding," I tell him feeling guilty about complaining at how hard he is working. "What can I do to help you?"

"Just get some rest dear," he leans over and kisses me on my cheek, it's the only affection he's shown me in days. "I'll get changed and join you in a bit."

"Alright, darling," I tell him. "I love you, Cary."

"I love you," he whispers to me and quickly walks to the bathroom. I didn't even get to tell him the kids were coming for dinner on Sunday.

I'll just surprise him and take him out to lunch tomorrow. Surely he can spare an hour to eat with his wife.


	17. Tears For Dinner

Chapter 17

Tears For Dinner

...

Grace's POV

I arrive at Carrick's office around the time I know he usually takes his lunch.

"Hello Heather," I greet his secretary for the past two years.

"Mrs. Grey," she greets me cheerfully, "how nice to see you."

"I came to steal my husband away for lunch," I tell her. "Is he free?"

"No Ma'am," she says sadly. "He left a little while ago."

"Oh dear," I fret. "When will he be back?"

"He's gone for the day, I'm afraid," she tells me.

"Did something happen," I ask her filled with concern. "It's not like him to leave midday."

"No Mrs. Grey," she looks at me and frowns in confusion. "He's been leaving early quite often. I…I just assumed he was going home."

"It's not because of the case he's working on is it," I ask her and she gives me that confused frown again.

"No, Ma'am," she says. "Um, he has given most of his cases to his partner, Mr. Myers, as far as I know. But I could check for you if you like, or do you want me to call Mr. Grey."

"No," I tell her too abruptly. "Do not call him, Heather, thank you. We may have just gotten our wires crossed. Is Mr. Myers available?"

She types away on her computer and I wait patiently for her to check. She picks up her phone to call him.

This makes no sense. He has no case, but yet he is staying out all hours of the night? Where on earth is he going and why is he lying to me?

"Mr. Myers is available and waiting for you in his office," Heather tells me.

I thank her and make my way back.

"What is going on with my husband, Phil," I ask Carrick's law partner for the last ten years, as I enter his office.

"Is that anyway to greet an old friend," he tells me getting up to give me a quick hug and kiss on the cheek.

"I'm not her to socialize with you, Phil," I tell him bluntly. "I came to have lunch with Carrick and he is nowhere to be found. He's been supposedly working late here at the office on some big case, but Heather just looked at me like I'd grown three heads at the mention of it. Apparently you have taken over most of his case load, freeing up his time, time that he is not spending with me."

"Grace," he begins.

"What is going on," I ask him again. "You are his partner and his friend. I know you know."

"Carrick has been under a lot of stress lately and he needs time to get himself together," he explains. "He just takes a few hours for himself now and again Grace."

"He has been coming home after two a.m for days," I tell him. "What is he so stressed about?"

"He lost a case," he tells me. "A young man we knew was innocent was wrongly convicted of murder and is now spending the rest of his life in jail. Carrick was the lead on the case and it hit him hard. It made him rethink things."

"Why didn't he tell me this," I ask him suddenly feeling heavy hearted for my husband's pain.

"You know he doesn't like bringing what we do home," he tells me.

"I thought…." I begin. "I thought he may have been seeing someone."

"Grace," he says sympathetically. "This is Carrick we are talking about here. You know better than to think anything like that."

"I know," I say guilty, "I'm sorry, you're right. I just miss him."

"Listen," he says putting an arm around me and leading me to the door. "Go on home and relax. I'm sure he'll be there in no time and you two will reconnect and you can get these silly thoughts out of your head."

"I'll do that Phil," I tell him. "Please don't mention this to him."

"Of course I won't," he assures me. "It's nothing but a misunderstanding anyway. You drive safely, okay Grace."

I nod and leave the office suddenly feeling like a good little girl that just got a pat on her head before being sent off to her room for a nap.

As I drive home I wipe at the tears that are rolling down my cheeks and I have no idea as to why I'm crying so uncontrollably.

….

Carrick's POV

"AW FUCK CARLA, GIVE IT TO ME," I scream out as I hammer hard into her. Her pussy suddenly becomes a pool for my dick to dive into.

"Oh, Rick yes, don't stop," she moans. She squirms in a wave of pleasure underneath me. Her orgasm hits her hard and steels mine.

I have made her cum four times in the last two hours. When she told me she couldn't possibly do it again, I set out to prove her wrong and was rewarded with a wet number five.

"Shall we go for number six," I ask her after we catch our breath.

I laugh when her eyes go wide.

…

I check my phone to see three missed calls from Phil, my law partner and best friend.

"What is it Phil," I ask calling him back. Normally I wouldn't have bothered, but it's not like him to call that often.

"I don't know what or more importantly who, you are doing, but you had better start giving some of it up to your wife, if you know what's good for you," he tells me angrily.

"What the hell does that suppose to mean," I ask him.

"Your lovely, devoted wife just stopped by here to surprise her husband for lunch," he tells me.

"Shit," I say out loud.

"That's it exactly," he tells me.

"You talked to her for me, right," I ask hopeful.

"I gave some cock and bull story about you needing to go find yourself after losing the Watterson case," he tells me. "She bought it, but if you keep going on this way she is going to figure you out fast. That piece of ass you are risking everything for better damn well be worth it. I pray it's not some goddamn twenty year old that you've….."

I hang up on him not bothering to let him finish speaking.

"What's wrong," Carla says to me as I get out of bed with her. We have been meeting in a room I have reserved for clients at the Fairmont Olympic since her home is too much of a risk for us with Ana in and out all of the time.

"Grace stopped by the office," I tell her. "I have to get home."

She looks at me crestfallen.

"Please don't look at me like that, Carla," I beg of her. "It was your idea to keep this as an affair.."

"I know," she tells me quietly.

"You are the one who gave me the ultimatum," I remind her.

"I know," she tells me.

"I'm going to take a shower and go home to her then," I tell her, knowing that would sting.

I turn on the hot water and step under it.

I have just made the most amazing love I have ever had and now I have to leave her and go home to my wife and pretend nothing happened. I can't keep doing this. Something has got to give. What I am doing now is going to blow up in my face and hurt us all even more.

"I'm sorry, Rick," she tells me as she steps in the shower with me. I quickly turn the water to warm because she hates when it's too hot. "I don't mean to make this hard on you."

"Living this way is hard on all of us and it doesn't have to be," I tell her as I take her in my arms. I love the way her skin feels when it's slipper, warm, and wet. "We are going to be together Carla. We are going to be happy."

…..

I take a deep breath as I enter the kitchen where Grace is overseeing the preparations for the family dinner tonight.

I come behind her and place the assortment of roses I bought for her on the kitchen island where she is sitting.

"Carrick, you're home," she turns around surprised. "These are lovely."

"I'm glad you like them darling," I tell her, giving her a chaste kiss on the lips. "They are my apology for missing our lunch date."

"Oh you couldn't have known I would surprise you," she tells me.

"It was a lovely surprise and I am sorry I missed it," I tell her. "When I got back to the office and Heather told me you'd stopped by, I was very upset that I had missed you.

"Where were you," she asks me straight out. I look into her eyes and I can see her fear.

"I went down by the docks to walk around and clear my head," I tell her and I know she wants desperately to believe me. "I was thinking about asking that son of ours if he would take us all on that new boat of his. She is a beauty and so aptly named too."

"Oh, I can see where Christian gets his charm," she teases me. "I am flattered he named his yacht The Grace, I must confess."

"I'm going to go work a little while before the kids get here," I tell her giving her a kiss on the cheek before walking away.

I sit at my desk with a pile of briefs in front of me, but I can't focus on a single one.

I pull out my phone and call Carla.

"I need to see," I demand when she picks up the phone.

"You have to spend time with your family tonight," she tells me.

"I'll stop by after," I tell her. "I'll find an excuse. Ana's staying with El tonight isn't she?"

"She didn't say," she tells me. "We can't be together here."

"Then meet me in our room," I tell her.

"I can't," she tells me. "This is too much for me…. I can't…"

"Now is not the time to pull away from me," I yell through the phone. Thankfully Grace is on the other side of house.

"Just be with Grace, okay, just be with your wife," she tells me.

"Carla," I whisper her name but she has already hung up on me.

DAMNIT!

…

Ana's POV

"Mmmmmm, this smells so good, baby," Elliot tells me as I give him the larger than life cherry pie to carry for fear I may drop it on his parent's front drive.

"Thank you," I tell him. "I hope it tastes good."

"I know it will," he tells me. "You made one for us too right,"

"Yes," I laugh. "Its safely cooling on the counter and the whip cream is in the fridge."

"Well let's hurry up and get out of here then," he tells me. "No time for coffee and chit chat tonight, okay, just meet, greet, and eat."

"Okay deal," I tell him.

"Elliot, Ana," Mia calls to us from the door. "Will you two get in here all ready? I'm starving."

"See, Mia knows the deal," Elliot tells me and I laugh.

We say our hellos to Grace, Carrick, Mia and Tuck.

"Christian will be done in a minute," Grace says as we take our seats at the table, "He had a phone call."

"Grace these flowers are wonderful," I tell her admiring the centerpiece.

"They were a gift from my wonderful husband," she says to me winking at him and he smiles at her.

"So how do you like your work Ana," Carrick asks me.

"Oh I love it," I tell him excited.

"I read the piece you did on Christian, it was wonderfully done," he tells me and everyone agrees.

"Speaking of Christian," Elliot says, "Where is he."

"He's in his room," Mia says getting up to get him.

"I'll go get him," I tell her. "I really need to talk privately with him anyway."

I kiss Elliot before I get up from the table.

…

"I don't give a damn, this deal is going through. We've spent too much time on this shit already and I am tired of them blowing smoke," I hear him yell at some poor soul on the phone as I open the door to his room. "No Ros will handle it. She's heading to New York now. If my presence is needed she will inform me."

He turns to see me waiting. His intense eyes suddenly soften.

"I'll call you back," he says and hangs up on whoever it was.

"Do you ever not work," I ask him. He smiles and shrugs.

"Not much else going on in my life," he jokes and my face falls. "Ana I didn't mean it like that."

"I know," I tell him. "I'm sorry Christian. I should have told you about me and Elliot being together. I wasn't trying to keep it from you to be deceitful. We just wanted privacy while we figured things out…"

"Ana, I'm the one who needs to apologize," he tells me. "I was way out of line. My behavior was deplorable. I didn't mean the awful words I called you. I was just lashing out. I'm so sorry."

"I know," I tell him. "Are we okay?"

"We are," he tells me and I am relieved to hear it.

"It's been awhile since I've been in here," I tell him looking round. The picture he keeps on his corkboard of his mom, dad, and him as a baby catches my eye. "I came up to get you. Everyone is waiting."

"Did you bake a pie," he asks me like he used to when I would cook for him before I left for college.

"Cherry," I tell him.

"Yes," he fist pump the air and I laugh. "What are we waiting for, let's go eat it."

….

Christian's POV

"I am so jealous of you," Mia says to Ana as she scraps the last of the cherry filling from her plate. "Not only can you cook, but you can kick ass on your job. Do you know they are paying for her to go to New York?"

"Oh it's just a book convention," Ana waves it off. "I just need to make some contacts."

"For how long," Mom asks her.

"Just a week," Ana says, "don't worry. We won't miss your gala"

"We," mom says happily. "Are you going with her Elliot?"

"Yup," he says simply.

"And Tuck is going to cover for him," Mia says, proud of her man and in return, he smiles shyly at her.

He's eating up her every word and damn if I don't approve. I would accept nothing less than a guy that adores her as much as I do. Normally I would have had all kinds of checks done on Mia's suitor, but I've known Tuck for a while now and I know he is an all around good guy.

But what really has just thrown me for a loop is Elliot and Ana announced they are going away on a trip together and I am not pissed beyond reason. If this would have been a few short days ago, I would have been all over this, but a few long intense therapy sessions with Dr. Flynn has made me face a lot of things about myself, one being my unhealthy obsession with Ana.

"Let's pause for clarification," he told me at out last session just this morning. "You and Ana have been in love since you were teenagers, but you rebuked her in favor of a girl you wanted to use to gain access to her father. Now that Ana is with your brother, you want to reclaim what was yours, even though you let her go?"

"It wasn't quite like that," I tell him, not liking his assumption that I only want Ana now because I can't have her. "I wanted her before I even knew she was with my brother."

"Ah, yes," he looks through his notes. "It was when you saw her with that 'Paul Clayton fucker,' as you put it. Is that right?"

"I've always wanted her, but she was just not what I needed, at that time in my life," I admit to him and to myself. "It wouldn't have worked out for us back then."

"And why would it now," he asks me.

"Because I got what I wanted from Jen…."I stop and take a deep breath.

"But the problem now is that Ana is getting what she wants from Elliot," he tells me. "You took a gamble Christian. You thought you could keep Ana on the back burner while you played house with Jen and you lost her."

"I haven't lost her," I tell him defiantly.

"Where is she now," he asks me.

"With Elliot," I answer him.

"Why," he asks me.

"Because he's holding my place," I tell him.

"Did Ana tell you that," he counters and I don't answer.

"When you were younger, how did you know Ana loved you," he says changing tactics.

"It was plain to see," I shrug. "I just knew she loved me. She was mine."

"Has it been plain to see since she's been with Elliot," he asks me and I get up to pace the room. He sits and patiently waits for me to come to my own realization.

"No," I tell him. 

"And why do you think that is," he asks me. "Why do you think you can no longer see her love for you when it was so evident before?"

My mind flashes back to the scene of her in Elliot's bed. The way she looked at him like he was her world.

"Because she's in love with Elliot now, she belongs to him," I tell him after he probes me for damn near ten minutes. 

...

Elliot's POV

I could have sworn I told that girl of mine we were going to cut right out of here after dinner. Now she's busy talking with mom and Mia and I know we are stuck here for at least another damn hour. Tuck was smart and he took off about ten minutes ago. I give up trying to get Ana's attention and go out on the back lawn to find Christian.

"What's going on, Bro," I find him down by the boat house. "What are you doing out here?"

"Just taking a walk," he tells me. "You and Ana in New York…"

"Yeah, listen about that," I start.

"No its fine," he tells me. "I was just going to suggest you stay in the apartment I have there."

"Are you for real," I ask him. He can't be for real.

"It's just sitting there and it's a nice place," he tells me. "I think you two would like it. It has a great view."

"Yeah of course we would," I tell him. "Thanks bro."

"Thank Flynn," he tells me and I laugh.

"So you're seeing him," I ask and he nods.

"He is a deep digging son of a bitch," he tells me.

"Yes he is," I laugh knowing exactly what he means. Flynn makes you admit shit about yourself you try very hard to bury way down deep. "But if he helps you the way he helped me, I'll buy him a shovel made of pure gold."

Christian and I walk back into the kitchen laughing and it doesn't go unnoticed by Ana. Our good mood quickly turns sour when we see our crying mom being comforted by Mia and Ana.

"What happened," Christian says before I could.

"Oh I am just being foolish," mom says.

"Dad left. He said he has an emergency with one of his clients," Mia says to us sadly. "It got mom upset."

"He's just been working a lot lately," mom says to us. Something in her voice causes me concern and I can see the same concern is on Christian's face.

"What the fuck is up with dad," I ask Christian as we walk to our cars. Mia is staying with mom and Ana is already walking ahead of us just out of earshot.

"I don't know," he tells me angrily. "Mom called me the night I broke up with Jen and told me that he's been working late most nights. When has he ever worked past two a.m.?"

"Never," I tell him.

….

"You okay, El," Ana asks me worried.

"I'm fine, Banana," I tell her shaking off my mood. "Get ready for bed, I'll go get our pie and whip cream."

"Okay," she says kissing me.

"Damn, baby," I tell Ana when I enter our bedroom. "I will never get tired of looking at you.

She is lying in bed naked, save for her white camisole. She knows I like to undress those gorgeous tits of hers.

"Let me feed you this time," I tell her. "I test the pie to make sure it is not too hot before I place a fork full close to her lips. I catch my breath when she opens her mouth allowing me to slide the fork in.

"Mmmmmm," she says closing her eyes and chewing.

I plunge my tongue in her mouth, getting a taste. The cherry mixed with Ana is my undoing. I move down between her legs. She bites her bottom lip in anticipation, knowing what I mean to do. I drop some of the warm cherry filling on her clit and suck it off.

"Mmm, you taste so good baby," I moan as she cums from my sucking.

My need to be inside of her over rules my patience. I quickly put the pie down and move back up her body.

"I want you to ride me baby," I tell her as I flip her over. "I want to watch those tits bounce.

She sits so that she is straddling me. I moan watching my dick disappear within her warm wet pussy, as she slowly lowers herself down on me. I slide the camisole up her abdomen, exposing her tits before I lift it over her head and toss it to the floor.

"Bounce, baby," I tell her as I lay back giving her room to work. "Fuck yeah, just like that."

"Mmmmm," is all she says as she throws her head back. The movement causes her tits to move forward and I can't help but raise up to capture a taut nipple in my mouth to suckle it.

"Oh God, El," she screams out as her orgasm claims her.

I am a beat behind her cursing and moaning as I ride my own wave.

"Those tits do it every time," I tell her. She hits my chest playfully before she lays her head on me.

"You worried about your mom," she asks me after a moment of me being silent.

"A little," I tell her. In actuality I am worried about my dad.

"Maybe you should talk to your dad," Ana says. "Maybe he'll tell you what's going on with his work. I'm sure if he knew Grace was so upset, he wouldn't have left."

"I'm sure you're right, baby," I tell her. "He's probably just has a lot on his plate. Let's get some sleep."

She nods and we drift off to sleep, but I wake up a few hours later.

I reach for my phone on the bedside table and text Mia.

Me: Is dad home?

Mia: Not yet. 

I look at the time and its 2:38 a.m.

I hold Ana a bit tighter as I try to fall back to sleep.


	18. Ho Hey

Haunted By You

Chapter 18

Ho Hey

...

Elliot's POV

It's already time to get up and I haven't slept a wink since I got Mia's text last night. I turn off my alarm, leave Ana sleeping, and head into the living room.

I call the one person I know who is up worrying about this as much as I am.

"Hey, Bro, I know it's early, but we need to talk about Dad," I tell him.

"I was already up anyway," he tells me. "I'm telling you, I got a real bad feeling about this. All the signs are leading to Dad stepping out on Mom."

"I hate to say it," I tell him. "But I'm thinking the same thing."

"I was hoping to talk to him about it this Sunday at dinner, but mom moved it up," he tells me. "I didn't even get the chance to speak to him last night before he took off."

"Well, since mom is going to be out of town this weekend, we can ether wait till Sunday and see him anyway, or we can go over to his office today and find out one way or the other," I tell him.

"Like he would tell us the truth," Christian sneers.

"Maybe not," I counter. "But at least he would know he's not fooling us."

"I was thinking about putting one of my guys on him," Christian says.

"The fuck you are," I tell him. "This is mom and dad we are talking about here, little brother. Think about having that type of bomb in your hands and having to give that to mom. Let's talk to dad today and go from there."

"Fine," he relents.

….

"Do you really think your dad is cheating on Grace," Ana says. I turn around surprised to see her standing behind me.

"Baby, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," I tell her feeling guilty that my loud mouth woke her up.

"You didn't," she says. "I'm use to getting up this early now. I need to make your breakfast. Don't avoid my question."

"It just looks weird," I tell her.

"I hope for Grace's sake that's all it is," she says sadly.

"Me too Banana," I tell her. "I'm going to go take a shower and get ready to go, baby."

...

"Are you still going over to your mom's after work," I ask her as we sit and have breakfast.

"Mhm," she nods her head yes since her mouth is full of oatmeal. "I need more clothes."

"Okay," I tell her finishing up and loading the washer. "I'll see you later tonight."

"Love you," she says kissing me.

"Love you more," I tell her before leaving.

…..

Christian and I arrive at our Dad's law firm at the same time. We stand in silence as we take the elevator up to his floor.

"Hey Dad," I say to him as Christian and I walk into his office. "Heather said to just come on back."

"Of course," he says smiling at us. "What a nice surprise. It's been so long since you two were in my office. I think it was when you colored these pictures."

He points to two framed crayon drawings on his wall of stick figure families and houses.

"Was it really that long ago," I ask in surprise.

"Afraid so," he laughs then turns serious. "Is something wrong?"

"You tell us Dad," Christian says coldly. He and Dad have yet to patch up the rift between them that occurred after he dropped out of Harvard. Add that on top of Christian's devotion to mom and this is a recipe for disaster.

"If this is about what happened at dinner last night, I already apologized to your mother," he sighs. "I didn't mean to upset you all, but I had to deal with my client. It's not the first time I had to leave abruptly."

"Mom says you've been working late a lot," I tell him. "We are just worried about you working too much."

"It's the nature of the job," he tells us. "You both know that."

"Dad you have always been good at teaching us right from wrong," I tell him. "If you are…..in trouble…"

"Are you cheating on mom," Christian comes right out and asks and I cringe. We wait for dad to answer.

"Christian, Elliot," he begins. "Is this why you came to see me, to accuse me of being unfaithful to my wife?"

"You don't need to lawyer up dad," I tell him, not liking his response. The fact that he hasn't denied it does not go unnoticed.

"I feel I'm being attacked," he says.

"He's deflecting, "Christian says angrily. "He's fucking cheating."

"Watch your mouth," my dad bites back. "I won't tolerate disrespect.

"Who is she," I ask him.

"I won't discuss this with the two of you," he tells us. Fuck he's cheating.

"Will you at least discuss it with your wife," I ask him. "She was devastated when you skipped out on her last night. We walked in to see Ana and Mia comforting her as she cried."

"Boys," he starts. "What happens between me and my wife is our business."

"Don't hurt her dad," Christian pleads with him. "She loves you. She has devoted her life to you and this is how you repay her? Don't destroy this family over a woman who would sleep with a married man."

"Do you even love, mom," I ask him. "Or do you love this woman?"

"Of course I love her," he tells us.

"Which one," Christian asks him bitterly.

"I love your mother," he tells us.

"Just not enough to keep it in your pants," I sneer at him.

"Now that is enough out of the two of you," he tells us angrily, getting up to walk the room like we used to see him do in court. It is a form of intimidation and he does it well. "You are grown men with your own lives, live them and leave mine alone. What happens in a marriage is between the two people in that marriage, so stay out of it. Your mother and I will work this out or we won't. But it has nothing to do with you."

"She doesn't even know there is anything to work out," I tell him. "You need to tell her, or we will."

" Stay. Out. Of. It," he tells us again.

"So we are just supposed to sit back and let this happen," Christian asks him. "Let you keep hurting mom."

"Do you want to hurt her," he asks us. "That is exactly what you two would be doing if you went to her with this nonsense, these bullshit accusations. You are about to destroy a marriage when you have no idea what's going on. If that is your goal, you two go right ahead, but the fall out will be on your hands."

"Dad," I ask him. "Just tell us. Are you cheating on mom?"

…

Three weeks later

Ana and I touch down at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York early Sunday morning and make our way through to the baggage claim. I have been looking forward to getting away from the drama at home.

Dad has been on his best behavior ever since Christian and I confronted him in his office three weeks ago.

Christian couldn't take it, so he talked to mom. Turns out that sudden weekend trip was mom hiring someone to spy on dad. She's had her suspicion for a while now. She stayed away, giving dad every chance to get caught cheating. It was reported that he simply went out alone and came home.

Upon hearing that, Christian hired someone to shadow him daily and all they've caught him doing was going to work and coming back home to mom. I guess the talk we had with him straightened him out. He and mom are closer than ever right now.

"Ana, Ana," we hear someone call and we turn to see a mass of red hair barrel right into Ana. I look to see a pretty petite blonde who I know is Sage, come up a beat behind her rolling her eyes and shaking her head at the redhead's enthusiasm.

She disengages herself long enough to give me a once over.

"Is this him," the girl who I am pretty sure is Laura asks Ana before she turns to me. "Are you him?

"Elliot Grey," I say to her holding out my hand. She bypasses it and smashes into me wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Forgive her," Sage says to me about her friend. She has no concept of personal space.

"Hey, he's like family, already," Laura tells Sage.

"Stop fussing you two," Ana tells them as she hugs Sage. "You are going to scare him away."

We head over to get our large travel bag.

"One bag for the both of you," Sage says to us surprised, "for a whole week? Man you guys are worse than flower dress girl over here."

"Forget you Miss, Let Me Change Every Hour Before Someone Sees Me In An Old Outfit, Diva," Laura mocks her.

This is going to be a very fun week.

Sage drops us off at Christian's apartment so that we can get settled. We are going to meet them later for drinks.

Apartment doesn't begin to describe this place and the panoramic view of Manhattan is awe inspiring.

Ana heads right to the bedroom and collapses from exhaustion. She hates to fly and I have her nail marks on the palm of my hand to prove it.

"Are you sure no one can see in here," she asks me as I lie next to her. Three of the four walls in the bedroom are floor to ceiling windows and Ana finds it too exposing. "What if some pervert has binoculars. We could be the next pornotube favorite.

"No, such luck," I tell her and she hits my arm. "The windows are heavily tinted, so no one can see in."

We get dressed to go out and meet up with Laura and Sage.

Ana gets excited when she sees it's a karaoke bar. She explains that the three of them would do karaoke a lot in college.

The girls sing a rousing rendition of Christina Aguilera's Aint no other man.

The pact crowd hoots and hollers at them as the girls shake their asses in tune with the song. My girl has the best ass out of the bunch, if I do say so myself.

I give her a resounding wolf whistle when she says her part and she blows me a kiss.

When they are done, of course, it's my turn and they shove me up on stage alone.

I grab the mike and sing, not even using the machine. I sing Ana's favorite song. Ho Hey by the Lumineers.

I remember the first time she heard it, she fell in love with it, so I learned how to play it on my guitar and surprised her one night. I didn't even get through the last verse before she had me on the bed with my dick inside of her. If I knew it turned her on that much, I would have started singing to her years ago.

Ana recognizes it right away and starts to squeal in glee when I begin to sing.

I've been trying to do it right  
I've been living a lonely life  
I've been sleeping here instead  
I've been sleeping in my bed,  
I've been sleeping in my bed

"OH MY…." Sage begins

"GOD," Laura ends. "He can sing."

So show me family  
All the blood that I would bleed  
I don't know where I belong  
I don't know where I went wrong  
But I can write a song

1,2,3, I belong with you, you belong with me you're my sweetheart  
I belong with you, you belong with me you're my sweet heart

The crowd begins to sing the Ho's and the hey's for me

(ho!)

I don't think you're right for him

(hey!)

Look at what it might have been if you

(ho!)

Took the bus to china town

(hey!)

I've been standing on Canal

(ho!)

And Bowery

(hey!)

(ho!)

And she'd be standing next to me

(hey!)

1,2,3 I belong with you, you belong with me you're my sweet heart  
I belong with you, you belong with me you're my sweet heart

And love we need is now  
Let's hope for some  
Cause oh, we're bleeding out

I belong with you, you belong with me you're my sweet heart  
I belong with you, you belong with me you're my sweet heart

The crowd erupts and gives me a standing ovation.

"Goddamn Steele you lucked out with this guy," Sage says as I rejoin them at the table.

"I sure did," Ana says kissing me.

"Get a room," Laura moans and we laugh.

I go and get us another round of drinks and when I return only Sage is at the table.

"They are stuck in line for the bathroom," she tells me. "Listen Elliot, I'm glad I got you alone for a minute. I've waiting to tell you what a jackass I think you are for hurting, not only my best friend, but the best women I've ever met."

"Sage," I tell her. "I know I messed up. I have no excuse for hurting Ana, but I promised her and now I'm promising you, I will spend the rest of my life making it up to her."

"I believe you," she says to me. "I can see how much you love her and I have never seen her so happy. But I am watching you Elliot. One wrong move and I will have your ass for dinner."

"Understood," I tell her.

"Hey baby," Ana says to me. "You two okay?"

"Perfect," Sage and I say together with the same grin on our faces and Ana laughs.

…

Ana's POV

On Monday, Sage, Laura and I take a break from the book conference and spend some time walking around in Central Park.

"So what's my surprise," I ask Sage excited to know.

"Well, you know my career is important to me," she starts and I nod. "Well being a journalist in The City is like being a struggling actor in L.A. You can trip over one on ever other step."

"That's so true," Laura agrees. "I don't know why you just won't come on over to our side."

"Oh yeah Editors are rare," Sage says and I laugh.

"What is the surprise," I tell her to get on with it.

"Well, guess who's moving to Seattle," she says with a wide eyed grin.

"You're moving to Seattle," I ask her, shocked and she nods.

"Kavanagh Media is expanding," she says. "And I got a job with them."

"You are going to be working at Kavanagh Media," I ask her and she nods.

"You will be seeing my pretty mug on the four o'clock news," she says.

"In Seattle," I ask her again and she nods.

"Sage, do you know what that means," I ask her and she shrugs innocently.

"I guess it means you are going to be seeing a whole lot of me," she says.

"Oh my god, I can't believe it," I hug her. "I am so excited. When are you moving?"

"When the new Kavanagh Media is up and running," she says and my eyes go wide because I know exactly when it will be up and running and it is very soon.

"Well this just sucks for me," Laura pouts. "I'm going to be stuck on the east coast by myself."

"Now that's crap," Sasha tells her. "You are coming with me."

"What," Laura says. "No way, I can't up and move across the country."

"Why not," I ask her. "Come on Laura, it will be like old times. You are going to love Seattle."

"Where would I work," she asks.

"Oh gee, I don't know," I pretend to wonder. "There are like no publishing companies in Seattle at all that would take a Harvard graduate who just happens to have a book on the New York best seller list right now."

"Oh Ana, you're so funny," She says tickling me. I hate being tickled. "Okay, I'll come. But I have to find a job first before I commit."

"Well get to it," Sage tells her.

…..

Elliot's POV

"Are you excited about your friends moving to Seattle, baby," I ask Ana as she lies in my arms content from love making.

"Mhm," she sighs. "Very excited, I've missed them."

"I'm glad you have them," he tells me. "There's nothing like friends you knew in college."

She lifts her head to look down at me.

"What about the friends you grew up with," she asks smiling.

"Oh Baby," I say as I nuzzle her nose with my own. "Those are the best kinds of friends."

I kiss her as I pull her on top of me, unable to resist the need to be inside of her once again.

…..

Carla's POV

I look at my phone to see Ana's face pop on the screen. Every time I see that picture of her, it makes me smile.

"Ana," I answer the phone.

"Hey mom," she says to me. "I thought I'd call and say goodnight."

"Are you having a good time," I ask her.

"The best time," she tells me. "I love it here."

"Oh no," I say. "Does that mean you are thinking about moving there?"

"Not a chance," she tells me. "I couldn't leave Elliot. No matter how much I love it here. I love him more."

"Well thank God, let's hope he never leaves Seattle then," I tell her and she laughs.

"I doubt he will, very seriously," she tells me. "I'll see you in a few days, mom."

"Okay, baby girl," I tell her. "Be safe."

I hang up the phone with Ana and take a deep breath.

I am sitting on my closed bathroom toilet lid anxiously waiting and hoping that the sickness I've been feeling for the last week is not what I think it is.

The lives of so many people hang in the balance of whatever this little white stick I just peed on says.

Carrick and I have ended things.

I remember the night he came to me upset about his talk with his boys.

"She knows you're cheating," I tell him when he walks through the door of the room we share at the Fairmont Olympic. "She talked to me about it this morning. She called me very upset. Of course she would call me, her best friend. It was awful. "

"The boys have talked to me too," he tells me. "I guilt tripped them into not telling their mother."

"You what," I say to him angrily. "Tell me you didn't do that."

"What choice did I have," he tells me.

"My God what are we doing," I ask him. 

"I don't know," he says tugging his hair in frustration. "All I know is I can't give you up. But I don't see this thing with Grace ending well. The fallout from this is far reaching. I tried to pretend it wouldn't be, but the look on Christian and Elliot's faces just brought it home."

"We have to stop this then," I tell him. "Before she finds out that it's me you're with. Before we both lose her. If you go to her and let it be like before she will let it go."

"You don't know that," he tells me.

"I do," I tell him. "She told me so. She loves you and she is so afraid of losing you to someone else."

"What about us," he tells me.

"There never was an us," I tell him. "It was a nice fantasy that we indulged in, but now it's over. You know it as well as I do."

My phone timer goes off now, letting me know that time is up.

I take a deep breath and lift the stick to read it.

Oh God. What am I going to do now?

I cry as I read the results of the test over and over again.

The word pregnant is staring me in the face.

I take the second stick out of the box to perform the test again. I know this can't be right. I can't be pregnant.

….

One week later

Ana's POV

Elliot and I breathe a sigh of relief as we enter his apartment.

The trip to New York was amazing.

I spent a few days making some great contacts at the conference but the rest of the time was just me, Sage, Laura, and Elliot.

We did the tourist thing and went everywhere. Sage was our tour guide.

I nearly had an orgasm when we went to the New York library. Poor Elliot sat patiently watching me while I indulged in books before he found the classic comic book section and disappeared for a good three hours.

My favorite by far was when Elliot surprised me with a romantic dinner at a little restaurant under the Brooklyn Bridge right on the water our last night there.

"Happy to be home," he asks me taking me into his arms.

"I'm so happy," I tell him giving him a kiss. "I've never been so happy."


	19. Vomit

Haunted By Your

Chapter 19

Vomit

One Month Later

Ana's POV

"I feel like such a grown up," I tell Elliot. I am giddy as we make our way through the tent to or seats

This is the first year that I am at the Greys annual end of summer party as an official adult with my man, looking scrumptious, at my side.

Every year the Greys host this party to raise money and awareness for victims of drunk drivers and their families through their You Are Not Alone charity.

"You should feel like a queen, baby, because you look like one," Elliot tells me. I beam under his compliment.

"And you are my handsome king," I tell him.

I am wearing a one shoulder blush pink colored floor length evening gown and Elliot is wearing a black tuxedo with a blush pink bow tie and vest that perfectly matches my gown.

We make it to the family table. I am surprised to see Christian has joined us this year. He usually avoids this event like the plague.

"I didn't know you would be here," I tell him, happy to see him.

"Good to see you little bro," Elliot says, seeming happy as well.

"I figured I'd give this thing a shot," he says to us. "See what all the fuss is about. You two look great by the way."

"So do you," Elliot and I say together causing Christian to roll his eyes.

Carrick is the MC again for this year's event and I can see why. He is very good at keeping the event funny, light, and at a great pace.

He always tells the story about how the Greys started this charity because they'd lost their best friends to a drunk driver and that their three kids had lost the chance to know their two parents.

He leaves out that he named it the You Are Not Alone charity because that is what he told Elliot to comfort him when he cried.

This is the part that has kept Christian away all the years I've known him. He has never been able to even talk about his birth parents much, let alone sit and listen to how they met their end. But this year he is doing amazingly well. He is even comforting Mia who's sitting to his right between he and Tuck.

I will have to ask Elliot what brought about this change in him.

Carrick gives thanks to Edible Steele for providing the dinner and I become self conscious when all of the Trevelyans and the Greys raise their glasses to me. I pray that the food is good, not that I doubt my mother's culinary skills, but she hasn't been herself lately and I am very worried about her.

After dinner, Elliot and I go out on the dance floor.

"I can't wait to get you home and out of this dress, baby," he says to me as we dance to Senatra's You Make Me Feel So Young.

"Elliot," I chastise him.

"What," he says. "I'm not the only one lusting after you. You know how many assholes I had to stop from talking to you tonight?"

"I don't think the server asking me if I wanted desert can constitute as lusting," I tell him.

"He didn't ask anyone else if they wanted desert," He tells me.

"Well you telling him to fuck off pretty much prevented that," I counter.

"The dude made a beeline to you because he wanted you." he tells me. I shake my head and I laugh.

"May I cut it," Carrick ask Elliot and he nods. "Why don't you go dance with your mother. She hasn't had a chance to speak with you all night."

"Alright," Elliot says to his dad before kissing me on my cheek. "I'll see you later, baby."

The song changes to Strangers In The Night and Carrick moves me gracefully around the dance floor.

"Are you enjoying yourself Ana," he asks me.

"Very much," I tell him truthfully. "I am having a wonderful time."

"Good to hear," he tells me. "You and Elliot look wonderful together. He is very much smitten with you."

"Well I am very much smitten with him," I tell him.

"Plain to see," he tells me smiling. "I am so happy for the both of you. You are good for him. I couldn't be happier with his choice."

"Thank you," I tell him. Not really knowing what to say to that.

"How is your mother, by the way," he tells me. "I haven't seen much of her lately."

"Oh she's…okay," I tell him.

"Just okay," he asks me.

"She hasn't been feeling too well," I tell him. "I'm worried about her."

"Is she that bad," he asks me and I can see he is genuinely concerned.

I simply nod my head.

...

Elliot's POV

"You look beautiful tonight mom," I tell her as I spin her around the dance floor.

"Thank you dear," she smiles up at me.

"You seem happy," I tell her.

"I am very happy," she tells me. "Things are going well."

"With you and Dad," I ask her. "I don't like when he makes you cry."

"We've never been better, Elliot," she tells me. "I don't know what or how but your father came to his senses. We had a long talk and we've been inseparable ever since."

"I'm glad Mom," I tell her.

He has been doting on her all night, so I have to believe he has come to his senses, especially since I know that he hasn't been anywhere but work and home according to Christian's guy. He even has someone spying on him at the office just in case he was boning one of his office workers.

Dad's old pal Phil Myers has been very forth coming with Christian about Dad's extra marital affair. He assured him it was no one in the office, but he verified that he was indeed cheating on mom, but it seems to have since ended.

He also told him that mom questioned him about it but that he had lied to protect her from getting hurt. He's always had a soft spot for mom and he is pissed at dad for taking her for granted like he does.

"Oh dear," my mom says staring at someone and I look in that direction. "What on earth is she doing here?"

"I better find Christian before she does," I tell my mom. I escort her back to the table, but I don't see my brother anywhere.

...

"Jen, what the hell are you doing here," I confront her in the boat house after following her down here.

"I came to party," she says and nearly stumbles when she turns around to speak to me.

"You're drunk," I sneer at her.

"No shit," she laughs. "Have you seen Christian? I thought he would be down here."

"No," I absentmindedly answer her as I text my brother to get his ass down here and deal with his drunk ex.

"Well you're here," she tell me then she looks around. "Alone."

"I'm here with Ana," I correct her.

"Ana," she says in disgust. "Everybody loves Ana. Christian loves that bitch you know, but she doesn't want him. She. Wants. You. You must really got something for her to give up him for you."

"Okay, Jen…." I try to stop her when she comes toward me.

"I want to see," she says pulling at my tux trying to undress me.

"Jen your drunk," I tell her, trying to take hold of her hands but she is too quick for me and she grabs my dick through my pants.

"Wow," she says. "That bitch has lucked out!"

I smack her hand away.

"Stop calling her a bitch," I sneer.

"Why should I," she matches my tone. "Little Miss Perfect has taken my man away from me and she doesn't even want him anymore."

"Jen, let me get you home, okay," I go to grab her arm so that I may walk her out but she sides step me.

"Do you know all of the shit I put up with just by being with your brother," she asks me. "Did you know he likes to hit girls before he fucks them?"

"What the fuck are you talking about, Jen," I ask her. "My brother has never raised a hand to a women."

"Just what I said," she tells me. "He would beat the shit out of me and then make it all better by fucking me until I cum, but only if I was a good girl and took my punishment."

I shake my head in disbelief.

"What, does that turn you on," she teases. "Do you like to whip girls like your baby brother? Do you want me to be a good girl for you Elliot?"

Before I can get my head around what's happening, she slips off her dress and gets on her knees before me.

I stand there at a loss as to what to do until I hear the door open. I turn to see not only Christian but Ana in the doorway. Her eyes dart to me then to Jen and then back to me.

Hurt and shock fight for time on her face until it settles on anger.

Shit!

"What the fuck are you doing, Jen," Christian goes to her. He picks her and her dress up. "Put it on!"

Jen quickly gets dressed. She seemed to have sobered up real quick.

"Ana," I croak out knowing I am in deep shit if she believes what it looked like.

"What the hell do you think you're doing," she says. I go to answer her but she's not looking at me. She is shooting daggers at Jen who is smirking at her. That only proves to piss my girl off.

She calmly walks past me and Christian to stand in front of Jen. Not one of us saw it coming and it was the last thing we all expected, but we all heard it, and judging by the way Jen is nursing her right cheek with her hands, she sure as hell felt it.

"Keep you filthiness off of my man," she hisses. "Do not make me have to kick your ass, Jennifer. Are we clear?"

Jen looks at Ana wide eyed and she nods her head.

"Whoa," Christian and I say as Jen doubles over. Ana jumps back just in time before she became covered in Jen's vomit.

With that Ana gives a take care of this bitch look to Christian before she leaves the boat house.

"Ana wait," I run after her. "I know what it looked like."

"What it looked like was you were standing there shocked as shit while Jen got all submissive with you," she tells me.

"Ana, I didn't know what the hell to do, I swear," I tell her honestly.

She stops walking and straightens out my tie and my tux.

"Well," she says. "The next time a girl that is not me strips down naked in front of you, I suggest you leave the room, or else I will feed you your dick."

"Yes, Ma'am," I choke out. "You're not pissed at me?"

"No," she tells me. "Christian told me what the deal was when he got your text."

I pull her into my arm and kiss her.

"You surprise me," I tell her. "I thought for sure I'd lost you."

"I trust you Elliot," she tells me. "Just, never give me a reason not to."

"Never," I tell her. "You are it for me, Ana."

I kiss her again.

"How's your hand," I ask her, trying to look at it in the dim light.

"I've hit you and Christian harder than that growing up," she shrugs. "I let her off easy."

"Damn you were so fucking hot, baby," I tell her feeling her up. "I loved seeing you fight for me like that."

"You are such a man," she pushes me away. "I'm going to the bathroom. I want to make sure none of her vomit got on me."

"I'll see you at the table baby," I tell her.

I make my way to the tent trying hard to push whatever the fuck that was I just left out of my head when I see the place nearly empty. I wonder what the hell is going on because I know the event is nowhere near being over. I see a distraught Grandma Trevelyan looking around desperately for someone.

"Grandma what's wrong," I ask her, coming to her aid.

"Oh Elliot thank God," she says visibly upset. "We had to ask everyone to leave. You need to get up to the main house. They are all fighting something awful up there."

"Are you going to be alright," I ask her.

"I'll take care of her Elliot," Grandpa Trevelyan comes with some water for his wife. "Your mother needs you."

That's all I needed to hear before I race to the main house to see what the matter is.

...

APOV

I leave out of the outside bathroom just in time to see Elliot racing to the main house so I follow him wondering what's wrong.

My mind instantly flashes to my mom who I know is working in the kitchen, so I rush to where she is. I pray that she is okay.

I make it to the kitchen door just as my mom is rushing out and I slam right into her.

"Mom what's wrong," I ask her. She is terribly upset and crying.

"Oh Ana," she says looking at me through her tears. "I am so sorry, baby girl."

"GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE," I hear Grace yell. I am taken aback by the viciousness in her voice. I have never heard her speak that way to anyone before. She never yells and she certainly never curses.

My mom runs past me and out of the door.

I go all the way into the kitchen and something about this scene makes me want to run away like my mother just did.

Mia is sitting at the island hysterical while Tuck is trying to calm her down.

Carrick is pale and still looking at the door to where my mother just ran out of and Grace is boardering on rage and utter despair.

Grace looks at me. The expression she gives me, makes Elliot step in front of me as if to protect me from her. Without a word she walks out of the kitchen and goes upstairs.

Carrick shoots past me and goes out the door mom just went out of, which upsets Mia even more.

"What the hell is going on," Christian says coming in the door his mother just walked out of. "What's wrong with Mom?"

Everyone is silent and Mia finally collects herself well enough to speak.

"Dad's been fucking Carla," she spits out looking at me. Christian and Elliot's eyes automatically turn to look at me.

"Mia why would you say something like that," Christian asks her.

"Mom and I overheard them talking in the first floor bathroom," she says. "She sounded upset and dad was comforting her. Telling her how much he loved her and how sorry he was that he broke things off with her."

"CARLA," Christian yells.

"He's fucking CARLA," Christian yells again looking at Elliot this time.

"Did you know about this," Christian turns on me. I shake my head no.

"I… I didn't," I tell not only him, but Mia and Elliot as well. "I swear I didn't."

"How the fuck didn't you know," he screams coming closer to me. "She's your mother for fuck sake."

"Back the fuck off Christian," Elliot says to him pulling me closer to his side. "You are not going to turn this shit around on Ana."

"SHE'S PRENANT," Mia yells. Tuck does his best to try and make her stop but she continues on. "That slut is pregnant with dad's baby!"

Elliot, Christian and I stand shocked.

Pregnant!

All of it makes sense. Her constant crying and her not feeling well.

She's pregnant. My mother is pregnant by her best friend's husband.

She is pregnant by my boyfriend's father.

"FUCK," Christian yells.

"I should go," I tell Elliot. "I need to go and check on my mom."

"You shouldn't drive," he tells me. He won't even look at me.

"I'll drive her, El," Tuck says to him. "You all need privacy."

He kisses Mia and waits for me outside.

"I…" I begin, but I refuse to apologize for something I didn't even know was happening, so I stop and just walk out the door.

A part of me was hoping that Elliot would follow me, but he didn't. I curse myself for being so selfish to want him when his family needs him. I just hope that he doesn't blame me the way I know Mia, Christian, and Grace do.

...

Elliot's POV

"Carla," Christian says again, still trying to believe it. "Mom's so-called best friend. I can't fucking believe this shit."

"Are you sure she's pregnant," I ask Mia.

"Mom and I heard Dad tell her he wanted them to raise the baby together," Mia says. "But Dad confirmed it when Mom confronted them just now."

"Jesus," Christian groaned just thinking about the pain mom must be going through. It's bad enough he cheated, which I'm sure she already knew, but to have it be her best friend and to then find out she is pregnant with a child she herself couldn't give him, there is no coming back from that.

"I'm going to go check on mom," Mia says.

"Wait a minute Mia," I tell her. "I need to talk to the two of you."

"What the fuck is it, Elliot," Christian says to me annoyed.

"The two of you will not take this shit out on Ana," I tell them flat out. "She knew nothing about it."

"Her mother is a slut," Mia spits out.

"And our father is too," I spit back. "Carla didn't get herself pregnant. She sure as hell didn't break her wedding vows to mom. I despise them both right now, what they did was despicable, but it bears no reflection on Ana. You all have known that girl for as long as I have. She loves mom. Do you really think she deserves this from us?"

"You're right," Christian agrees with me.

"I'm sorry," Mia says. "I'm sorry…..I just….It was so awful Elliot."

"I know," I go to comfort her and she cries in my arms.

"Emotions are running high right now," I tell them. "Our first priority is to take care of mom, to be there for her and to give her whatever support she needs."

"Will you let Ana know that I'm sorry," Mia asks me and I nod. "I'm going to go to mom."

Christian and I wait until Mia is out of earshot before we speak again.

"How the fuck did we all miss this shit," Christian asks me.

"Come on," I ask him. "Who the fuck would have thought Carla would do something like that? Hell, we knew Dad was a bastard, but not her."

"I keep thinking about when did it start," Christian says. "How long has it been going on? Did it start when we were kids? Fuck! I helped that bitch start her company. I promoted her shit!"

"Enough Christian," I tell him. "We are going to drive ourselves crazy with this shit."

"Do you think he is with her right now," he asks me.

"Ana's on her way there," I tell him.

"Do you think she will tell you," he asks me. "Carla is her mother. She loves her the same way we love mom….."

"Carla is in the wrong here," I tell him.

"Do you think Ana see's it that way," he asks me.

I don't give him an answer. I leave him in the kitchen and head over to Carla's. I need to see Ana and I fucking hope I don't run into my father or I won't be responsible for my action.

I pull up in Carla's drive and I breathe a sigh of relieve when I don't see Dad's car.

"Elliot," Carla says to me opening the front door wiping at the tears on her cheeks.

"Where is she," I ask her coldly.

"In her room," she says. I walk past her and go up the stairs.

"Elliot," she calls after me.

"You don't want to talk to me right now, Carla," I tell her without looking back.

I open Ana's door to find her sobbing on her bed.

"Banana," I call to her sitting down on her bed.

"Elliot," she says holding on to me.

"It's okay baby," I tell her.

"How can it be," she tells me. "Our parents are fucking each other and my mom is going to have your dad's baby. How could this possibly be okay?"

"It's okay because it has nothing to with us," I tell her, kissing her forehead. "This will not come between us Ana."

"Then why does it feel like it will," she tells me.

"Come here, baby," I tell her as I pull her back into my arms.


	20. author note

Hey guys. The story isn't over.I will post the rest as soon as I can find the time. The complete story is up on ff.net under lanieloveu if you want to read it all now. Thanks alot.


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